


Gold Opal Ring

by Black_Lotus



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Bae Is Two, Belgian Sheepdog, Car Sex, Cooking, F/M, Glam Rock, Graduation, Homosexuality, M/M, Marriage, Moving To Storybrooke, New York City, No Curse, Older Man/Younger Woman, Poetry, Punk Rock, Regina's A Bitch, Rivalry, Samoyed, Secret Relationship, Student Belle, Teacher Gold, Teacher/Student Marriage, Teen Pregnancy, embezzlement, husband and wife, pop rock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-03-09 04:36:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 47,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3236456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Lotus/pseuds/Black_Lotus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous Rumbelle prompt: Ruby comes home late after work & overhears her room mate Belle having sex with her mysterious boyfriend (that Ruby has yet to meet.) With Belle's door a little open; Ruby can't help but spy on them having sex through the mirror in Belle's bedroom. She can't see the boyfriend's face just a hand with a gold opal ring. The next day in class Ruby's professor Mr. Gold comes in and it suddenly hits her that her professor is wearing that exact same ring!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Oh My God!

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language :-)

' _Oh my God!_ ' Ruby internally screamed as her English Professor, Mister Gold, walked back down to his desk at the front of the lecturer hall. ' _Oh my God_!' He was wearing the ring. Ruby had to force herself to stay quiet. It was him. Her heart was racing, thumping against her chest, forcing even more strain on her already too tight white blouse that always went with a tartan skirt and her beloved cute red pumps. It took several moments to calm herself down, taking deep breaths filling  her shocked body...the man was Gold.

It had all started two weeks earlier....

XXXX

Ruby didn't know exactly what time it was all she knew was late. Her hair was losing its volume, her feet hurt and all she wanted was her bed, it had been a long day at the diner and she could take no more. Ruby tiptoed into the apartment that she shared with her best friend Belle French, it was small, but fit their needs rather well. The perfect distance between college and the clubs. Ruby had been expecting the place to be quiet the only noises being a sleeping Belle and Mister Carpenter's television three doors down, the man never seemed to sleep, but instead Ruby was quickly faced with the heavy breathing and pleasure filled pants of Belle and what Ruby quickly assumed was her new boyfriend that she still hadn't met.

Ruby's first thought was to run to her bedroom and put her headphones in, giving them some privacy, but then a voice appeared in the back of her mind and took full control over her. ' _What does he look like? Maybe a little like Gaston? Well only one way to find out_ ' and before Ruby knew what she was doing she'd crept up to the door and peeked through the small crack where it had been left open. She couldn't see Belle's bed just turquoise painted walls and the full-length mirror that, fortunately for her, pointed at Belle's bed. The mirror showed Belle sat in a man's lap completely naked with her back to the mirror. 'Damn' she thought. Thanks to the way Belle was positioned and the restricting view from the door she couldn't see the man's face, just his naked legs supporting her roommate and a large hand wrapped around her hip, whoever he was had a very nice gold ring with what looked to be an opal in the centre on his little ringer; it looked expensive, maybe even antique. After a loud scream from Belle and seeing her collapse on the mystery man, Ruby ran to her own red room and hid with her headphones in until the man was gone. Which didn't take nearly as long as she had expected, it was like they couldn't risk getting caught, soon Belle appeared in Ruby's bedroom doorway.

"Oh, hi. Didn't realize you were back."

Belle said startled from the doorway of Ruby's room, her heart suddenly began to race.

"Yeah, sorry I would have come in and said 'hey' but I had my headphone in and you know how I'm deaf to the world when that happens."

A look of relief washed over Belle's face.

"Here." Belle held up a tube of lip gloss . "I just came to return this."

"Oh, thanks."

XXXX

Ruby didn't remember much more of that night, she'd spent the rest just thinking of whom the mystery boyfriend was. It was good that Belle was no longer with Gaston Rose, he had been pushy and to be honest he drank too much, but Gold! _Mister Gold_ , her English professor, the evil professor who gave her a C, a fucking C, it was at least worth a B. Ruby glanced over to Belle who was sat to her left, ' _how have I never noticed before?_ ' Belle was looking at him with a gentle smile on her face. Ruby was in pure shock and had no idea how to react. Belle had slept with her professor and still fucking was, she could have at least chosen someone hot like Professor Hopper, he taught Psychology and Ruby couldn't deny she had a bit of a crush. "You have two weeks to complete your assignments on King Lear, pay close attention to animalistic imagery. That is all, class dismissed."

Everyone stood and began packing away their things, desperate to get out of Gold's class before he gave them all F's for just being in his presence too long, all except Belle who packed up slowly and without a care in the world.

"Belle honey, are you coming with me, Jefferson and Victor for lunch?"

"Em, no sorry Ruby. I promised I would go to my father's shop."

"Oh okay, no worries." Ruby didn't believe her for a second.

"Tell Victor and Jefferson I'm sorry would you?"

"Yeah of course, you want me to walk you to the gates?"

"No that's alright, you go ahead or Jefferson will eat everything."

Ruby nodded and made her way up the steps and out the big pale green double doors to where Victor was waiting. Belle watched as they walked off and the doors clicked shut, she looked down to the front desk where Gold had his back to her as he packed away his own things into a brown leather briefcase. With a smile she crept up behind him and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck; he turned.

"So Miss French, you think kisses will get you an A?" He teased with a half-smile and a glint of something Belle couldn't describe in his eyes.

"No it gets me an A+." She played along offering him a bright smile.

"Oh no, dearie. An A+ would be if you let me bend you over the desk and have you right here."

She leaned in and ran the tip of her tongue along the shell of his ear sending a shiver down his spine then whispered.

"Well then _bend_ away."

The two laughed and Gold pulled her into an embrace filled with love and just a little need.

"How I wish I could, dearie. Instead, I will have to settle for a kiss." Dean Mills was everywhere.

Belle smiled and obliged giving him a deep and passion filled kiss, his tongue traced across her bottom lip begging entrance that was quickly granted. Eventually the two separated out of a need for air.

"As much as I would like to stay here with you. I did promise my father I would have lunch with him."

"Fine, take the one bit of light out of my black life." He placed his hand over his heart in mock pain.

"Oh don't get all poetic. Ruby, Victor and Jefferson are going out tonight, which means we have the entire place to ourselves."

"That will be nice."

"Yes it will. I'll see you later," She kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you too, dearie."

With that the auburn haired teenager vanished from the lecturer hall leaving Mister Gold alone with his thoughts and possibly a hard on.

 

 

 

 

Gold's Ring


	2. Where It All Began

Belle collapsed on Gold after her orgasm, cuddling into his neck and debating if she would ever come out. There was a layer of sweat on both their bodies, a clear sign of their pleasure and each panted to get air into their deprived lungs.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Belle."

She nuzzled into his chest pressing delicate kisses to the smooth skin of his pectorals. Gold wasn't overly muscular, but he was lean and far stronger than he looked, and the stamina, oh Belle couldn't even begin on the stamina.

"I could stay here with you forever."

"Oh Belle, I would like nothing more."

Their lips locked in a passionate kiss, his tongue glided along her bottom lip seeking entrance that was quickly given. He mapped out the fine details of her mouth, committing it to memory. Gold truly did love the nineteen-year old beauty.

"You know," He said when they finally broke for air."we have an anniversary coming up."

"You remembered." She smiled and gave him another soft kiss.

"Of course, I remember our first time like it was yesterday."

XXXX6 MONTHS EARLIER XXXX

Belle French had always loved books, they were a passion of hers, one that could never be taken away no matter what. The tales would ignite her soul and carry her off to far-off worlds of adventure and magic like a leaf in the breeze. Often Belle would find herself in the library at the end of the day when no one else was around, it was peaceful, quiet and let her get on with her assignments without interruption...except for one day.

Belle was up a ladder looking for a copy of Macbeth: Language And Writing to help her explain how the language of the play showed the power of women, when suddenly out of the pure silence came a voice.

"Good evening Miss French."

A very startled Belle practically jumped out of her skin and lost her footing on the ladder. Before she knew it Belle was falling to the floor. Everything seemed to pass in a heartbeat and then suddenly the panic was gone, all fear drained away to nothingness. Professor Gold had caught her. She looked up at him, aqua blue eyes meeting chocolate brown with just a hint of gold, they were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, so much mystery and emotion hidden away within their depths. He held her bridal style, his cane forgotten on the floor and Gold looked panicked like he'd hurt her. Belle could feel his warmth drifting through the soft fabric of her dress, it was a simple apple green color made of a chiffon style fabric that came down to just above her knees. The fabric was pleated and had cap sleeves as well as little gold buttons that came down to her waist. His body heat seemed to snake itself around her like a blanket, it was so comforting.

"I am so sorry Miss French." He apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Its alright Professor Gold, I've always been clumsy." It was true, Belle was always falling over or walking into something.

It was only then, after a long moment of staring at each other that they realized Gold was still holding her, and so he carefully set her down on her green wedge heels like she was made of glass. The last thing he'd wanted to do was scare her, not Belle, never Belle. She was beautiful and intelligent and talented, his favorite student. It had started with just the occasional glance at her as she was working, then he started watching her leave a room and the way her clothes clung to her perfect curves. He knew he was beyond help when he had started imagining her, naked and begging for him. Gold knew it would never happen though, she was a beautiful nineteen-year old girl with her whole life ahead of her, while he was a forty-four year old cripple whose wife had left him and later taken his son from him; not to mention her teacher. She was far too good for him he knew that, but it didn't mean he couldn't look every now and again.

When he saw her up the ladder all alone he couldn't help himself, he just wanted to talk to her. If it had been any of his other students Gold would have just carried on walking, but he couldn't do that to Miss French it would have been rude. And, what had happened? Just by greeting the beauty he'd nearly killed her.

"Still, I'm sorry." He managed to speak much to his surprise, he wouldn't have bothered catching anyone else let alone apologize to them, but she wasn't just 'anyone else'. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you." Belle bent down and retrieved his cane handing it to him with a soft and thankful smile.

"Thank you."

The warmth from his hands still lingered on her body and Belle wished it would never go away that she could keep it as a memento forever. Belle was infatuated with the man had been since the moment she first saw him. Everyone thought Gold was a monster, but not her, she knew the truth, Belle saw the way he tapped his fingers on the desk, singing some unknown song in his head. The way he chewed the end of his thumb when he was thinking. It was adorable. Belle even noticed the way his nose would crinkle when his knee acted up, like he was at that moment.

"You're shaking Miss French, maybe you should go home. Get something warm to drink."

Belle hadn't noticed until then, but she was shaking, the fall must have scared her far more than she thought.

"Maybe you're right, Professor."

Belle gathered her things up and gave a smile to Gold, with a final 'thank you' she left the library. Gold stood there for a moment just watching her walk down the long corridor until she turned leaving him alone with nothing but his thoughts and the memory of her soft skin. Such beauty and kindness, Belle was perfect.

The second Belle got outside the building she was soaked, rain came down like she was standing under an angry waterfall. With a sigh Belle pulled her bag closer to her body and started in the direction of home, she would be soaked through to her very core by the time she got to the apartment, but Belle knew she would still have thirty minuets to take an indulgently long shower before her Papa came back from the shop. She was about half way down the street, desperately using trees for cover, when a black Cadillac pulled up alongside her and the window rolled down revealing Mister Gold.

"Miss French would you like a lift?" He had no idea why he was asking, she would no doubt think him a pervert and tell him to fuck off' but for some reason he couldn't stop himself. "You'll be soaked through."

"You...you don't have to do that." She couldn't understand why he was being so nice to her, but Belle wasn't going to complain since she was enjoying it. "I don't live far and I don't want to destroy your seats."

"Please, you will catch your death."

Hearing him say 'please' made her heart warm and fuzzy, he was revealing the good man he kept hidden away deep down inside himself. She smiled and finally got in the car. The Cadillac was warm and Belle was thankful to again be able to feel her toes.

"Where do you live, Miss French?"

He instantly wished he'd phrased the question better instead of sounding like some kind of stalker. Belle didn't see it that way though, she saw a highly misunderstood man making a kind gesture to a clumsy teenage girl.

"Main Street." She said, her teeth chattering from the cold rain.

"That's the other side of town. How can you think that's 'not far'?"

"I've done it before in the rain, it's not as long a walk as you think. And everything is 'far' in New York."

Gold's heart went out to her at the thought of such a young girl walking all the way across town in weather like the storm that had decided to dominate the sky, cold and wet. Ice just waiting to attack.

"Well, I've almost killed you once today. I can hardly leave you to get Pneumonia."

She giggled at the quip as he started to drive. The silence was odd, but not uncomfortable, he had turned the heat up and thankfully Belle was beginning to dry off.

"May I?" She asked.

Belle had noticed that the car stereo was playing, but there was no volume, he'd probably turned it down when he lowered the window to talk to her.

"Of course."

He would have let her do anything in that moment, he was just enjoying being so close to her, the smell of her floral perfume. It was selfish, he knew, but he didn't want to let her out of his car, just keep driving forever only ever stopping to get gas. He pushed the thought away and clicked the wind shield wipers up to the next level trying desperately to get a better view of the road. Belle turned the volume up, 'Whatever happened to dear old Lenny? The great Elmyra, and Sancho Panza? Whatever happened to the heroes?' Belle practically squealed.

"No way. The Stranglers!"

Gold gave a surprised laugh and raised an eyebrow, never looking away from the road.

"Miss French, I think you're the only person under twenty-five that would know that."

"I love them, and I kind of had to." She tapped her feet softly to the rhythm.

"Oh?"

For the first time in a very long time he actually wanted to know, wanted the conversation that normally he would sidestep. Gold really wanted to know everything about the auburn haired girl.

"My em...my Mom was kind of a rocker, she loved bands like AC/DC, Journey, Motorhead. My Papa though, he's kind of everything else rock: Mötley Crüe and Black Sabbath mostly. An AC/DC concert is actually how my parents met."

"So, you were educated correctly?" Another quip, he loved her laugh. It was like a gentle breeze on the hottest day of summer.

"You could say that."

Gold couldn't be more pleased that they had fallen into a conversation and not a painful silence. Her accent was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard and he wished that she would never stop speaking, allowing him to hear it.

"So, you are a born rocker?"

"Yeah, Ruby insists I listen to pop music with her, but I would always rather have Fall Out Boy or In This Moment on. I think Victor is jealous of my Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance and Offspring collection to be honest. And, Jefferson keeps taking my Pretty Reckless albums."

"I must confess a soft spot for The Offspring."

She smiled again, Gold saw it out of the corner of his eye and thought he could melt. He'd believed he and Belle would be a world apart, but knowing they shared a love of music, it made him want her more, but he forced those thoughts back down where they could never touch her. She didn't deserve an old man lusting over her. Just as their conversation seemed to be coming to an end Belle said.

"Oh just turn in here."

Gold did as instructed and pulled into the parking lot of an old apartment block. The rain had sped up even more and so he parked under a tree close to the entrance so she wouldn't get soaked again. No one could see the car from the entrance, but it was as close as he could get without actually driving into the lobby.

"Well, here we are."

He tried to sound like his normal self, but there was still some disappointment that crept into his voice, he didn't want their conversation to end.

"Yes, thank you Professor Gold." How he loved the way her voice made his name sound.

She didn't want to leave him either, she loved learning about him, loved listening to him, she love-liked him. Just as Belle opened the car door she noticed the look in his eyes, the look that said he wanted her. With the door a quarter of the way open she stopped and thought. 'Do the brave thing and bravery will follow', Belle took a deep breath and shut the door again. With her new found bravery Belle turned to face him and then pulled Gold by his ever-present tie into a deep kiss. His lips were warm and soft, just how she had imagined. It took a moment for Gold to realize he wasn't dreaming, the kiss was real...Belle French was kissing him. Him! A moment later she pulled back for air and released his turquoise tie, she looked up at him with lust filled eyes.

"Do you want me?" She whispered and bit her bottom lip.

"Yes."

He answered honestly and so quietly that for a moment he wasn't sure he'd spoken. Belle beamed. 'Oh God she wants me back', it was the happiest moment of his life, right beside his son being born. He didn't quite know how she'd managed it, but Belle had moved to straddle his hips and pulled him into another kiss, yet this one was more passionate and animistic. His hands found her hips where the fabric of her dress was still wet, but he didn't care, someone could kill him their and then and he would die a happy man. Nimble fingers worked their way down his black button down shirt to get at his chest, her hands were cold, but they soon warmed up when they came in to contact with his skin, she broke the kiss in favor of nibbling on his clavicle. He moaned, as if a reward for the sound Belle wriggled her hips in his lap and Gold felt himself harden instantly; he wanted her desperately, there was no denying that. The hands on his chest dropped to his belt and she made short work of un-buckling it and pulling him loose of his rather constricting pants. Belle wrapped her hand around him and started to stroke softly, Gold's hands gripped tighter on her hips, probably leaving bruises. He caught her mouth and quickly begged entrance, his tongue dragged along her teeth and Belle's hips thrust without her consent; that made him chuckle.

The teen was determined to get her own back and so ran her thumb over the slit of his impossibility hard member. He gasped and that time it was her turn to chuckle. She released her grip and shuffled above him for a moment, it was then that Gold realized she had pulled off her panties. How wanted to pinch himself to make sure it was real, but couldn't bring himself to move, he just watched Belle line herself up with him. Suddenly he found his voice.

“Condom."

"I'm on the pill."

With that Belle sank down onto him, the two clung to each other for a moment; panting into the others neck. After a moment of adjustment Belle begged.

"Move!"

Gold couldn't say 'no' to that. He started slow pulling almost all the way out only to slam her back down on him.

"Oh God!" She cried.

He smiled at that and kissed her again, speeding his pace up. The thrusts became shorter and faster, more lust filled.

"Harder, please, harder." She was desperate.

Gold pulled her down over and over, thrusting again and again, panting more and more. He was close and if the way her eyes had fluttered shut were anything to go by, so was Belle. In a few more thrusts she came with a shout, digging her nails into his shoulders. Gold felt her inner walls clamp around him and in one more thrust he came, spilling himself inside her. The two sat there for a short while just enjoying the others company as they came down from their high that was until Belle broke the silence.

"That was amazing."

"I aim to please."

That made her giggle and she kissed his still panting lips.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

"Maybe as long as I have, dearie." He loved the feel of her against his chest. "However, I never imagined it to be in my car outside your apartment block at..." He leaned so he could see the clock above the stereo that was still playing. "...ten-to-five."

"Me and Ruby were planning on getting a place together, just got to figure out how to tell my Papa...wait 'ten-to-five'?"

Gold nodded and Belle sat up turning slightly in his lap to see the clock.

"No, no, no. You have to go."

"What?"

"My Papa, he'll be back any minuet and if he sees us we are dead. And I mean tiny little bits dead."

Belle moved back to the passenger seat and pulled on her panties while Gold put himself back in his pants. He didn't want to leave, but he didn't want to upset her either. When the scene once again looked innocent Belle stuttered out.

"I em, we...could, you know...could do this again." She fidgeted with her hands, all that bravery she had was used up.

"I would like nothing more, Miss French." Belle chuckled.

"I think after what we just did you can call me Belle. My Papa plays poker on Wednesdays so we could have the whole place to ourselves, if you like?"

"Then I will drive you home on Wednesday."

It was just a happy coincidence that their next lecturer was Wednesday too. Belle smiled and kissed him again, with a gentle 'bye' Belle opened the car door, but paused just like she had the first time and turned back.

"What's your name?"

Over everything that had happened he had forgotten to tell her.

"Cameron, its Cameron."

"Well, until Wednesday then...Cameron."

With that Belle stepped out of the car and into the rain, charging towards the main entrance. He looked down to his left hand and raised it, after a moment of inspection he pinched his right upper arm.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed. "Yep, this is real."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is  
> 'No More Heroes' by The Stranglers.


	3. The Family And The Dog

I would like to thank Emilie Brown for this wonderful art. its truly fantastic. Thank you.

 

 

 

It was Gold's morning lecturer and Ruby had become hyper aware of Belle's behaviour around their teacher. She'd noticed how Belle had started wearing clothes that were just that little bit more revealing. That morning she favoured a white empire waist dress with thin straps and came down to her mid thigh. It was coupled with a mini black leather jacket that Ruby had given her as a birthday gift a few years before, and a pair of black leather heeled ankle boots. Ruby had to admit she looked sexy and Jefferson would have been proud of the outfit what with being a fashion student and all, the man had aspirations of becoming a costume designer.

Gold was handing out the King Lear reports when his cell phone sounded. People rarely called him and when they did it wasn't good. His cane tap, tap, tapped as he made his way down to his desk. Belle gave him her full attention, probably hoping nothing was wrong.

"Hello."

They heard him say quietly. It was like slow motion watching his face drop, there was no emotion, he just went blank. Belle felt the instant urge to run to him and pull Cameron into her arms, but she forced herself to stay in her seat. He slumped into his chair listening to whoever was on the other end of the line for a moment.

"That's it for today. Everybody out. Now!" He suddenly shouted.

The class wasted no time, they were terrified of him and practically sprinted out the door. That was all except Belle and Ruby.

"You should go to him, I know you want to Belle."

"What?! No."

Belle shifted from foot to foot trying to hide her feelings for the still blank man over at his desk.

"Don't try to hide it Belle, I know he's the mysterious boyfriend you've been hiding."

"No he's not." She said far too quickly.

"Yeah he is Belle. I've seen the way you look at him."

Belle knew she was solved, no one could hide anything from Ruby for long; she was like a bloodhound or maybe a wolf.

"Please don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone, not even Victor and Jefferson." She looked over to Professor Gold, her high ponytail swishing with her movements. "You should go to him, he looks like he needs you."

Ruby gave a confused and worried Belle a kiss on the cheek and then left the lecturer hall, her flowing red summer dress dancing on the soft breeze. Belle knew Ruby would tell no one, Ruby was a good person. Not wanting to leave Cameron on his own with whatever had happened she left her things and padded down the steps to his desk, just as she reached him he hung up the cell phone.

"Cam? Cam are you alright?"

She crouched down by his side and looked up at him, eyes filled with concern. Cameron eventually tilted his head to meet her eyes, he didn't look sad or angry just...shocked. Belle cupped his cheek and whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"Milah, she's dead."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Belle didn't know what to say, she knew he and his ex-wife had problems.

"You don't have to be, I didn't love her anymore."

"Still she was your wife once." A thought struck her. "What will happen to your son?"

"He's my son, I'll take care of him like I always have. I em...I need to go get him."

Cam stood pulling Belle up with him. He shook his head trying desperately to get his thoughts straight.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Cam took a deep breath at her words. "You can say no, you know."

"No, no I want you to come."

XXXX

Cam wasn't sad that Milah had died, all the love he felt for her had long since faded to nothingness. Milah had left him years ago and it had crushed him. She'd never wanted a child and then after years of divorce they had a massive argument that turned into a one-night stand. That was just over two years ago and soon after he found he was to be a father...and she took the baby away from him. He hated her for that, only ever getting to see his son on holidays and every few weeks. Cameron had stopped feeling after that, of course that was until he met Belle; he only had room in his heart for Belle and Baedan now.

When a woman from social services pushed the two-year old into his arms Cameron's heart flared with love for the small boy. He was beautiful with his chocolate eyes that matched his father's perfectly, a maternal instinct suddenly triggered in Belle and she wanted nothing more than to hold Bae. He was the most perfect thing she had ever seen, Bae had dark brown almost black hair with the most kissable tiny hands.

The child slept all the way back to Gold's home, he'd tired himself out earlier in the morning crying. As they approached the door to his salmon house Belle dipped her hand into Cameron's left inside pocket where he kept his keys and opened the door punching in his alarm code, she had been there so many times before that she'd memorized it. OLIVIA, she meant to ask him who Olivia was, but she always forgot. From his dog bed came a large Belgian Sheepdog, a happy look of his face.

"Hey Kubla." She beamed at the animal. "How have you been, boy?" Belle gave the dog a scratch behind the ears and pressed a kiss to Kubla's forehead.

Kubla had been wary of her at first, but soon warmed when he realized how much his owner cared for her. He was a dark chocolate color with a tiny white patch on his oh so fluffy tummy. Belle had figured the name out instantly much to Gold's surprise; he was named Kubla after the poem 'Kubla Khan' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A crazy but happy poem about a dream, crazy but happy was the perfect way to describe Kubla.

"Would you mind taking his bag?"

"Of course." Belle took the sky blue bag packed with everything from clothes to Bae's favourite teddy bear that Cameron had on day named Humphrey. "Door at the end, yeah?"

Cam nodded and followed her and Kubla up the stairs and into Bae's room. It was different from the rest of the house and to be honest Belle would have killed to have had a room like that when she was young. The floor was a wonderful dark wood that looked up at a heavenly blue ceiling. The white walls made it look larger than it was, but the little pictures of Kubla and different cartoon wild animals made it look cosy. In front of the little bed was a giant plush St. Bernard that had clearly been cuddled often, it was so lifelike that for a moment Belle though Cam had gotten a new dog.

They spent the rest of the evening caring for the child and playing with him. Belle didn't know if she should have been ashamed for imagining them as a family, even if she should have been Belle couldn't bring herself to do it. 'Do you want to stay' he had asked and Belle had grinned wider than she thought possible, Belle had never stayed the night, but she didn't want to leave him alone with Bae after such tragedy. She'd quickly called Ruby and after much teasing they had said their 'good nights'. Belle was going to indulge her little family fantasy.

When the sun had gone down and Bae had gone to sleep Belle forced Cam into a kissing match on his bed. She was happy, happier than she had been in a long time.

"I. love. You." She said in between kisses.

"I love you to, Belle."

His hand slipped under the fabric of his charcoal dress shirt that she has raided from his closet for the night, and he teased his long fingers up her thighs. Belle couldn't help her moan as the kiss deepened that was, until Bae started crying.

"I'm sorry Belle." Cameron sighed.

"No, no it's alright. Bae is more in important."

With a grateful smile he untangled himself from the beauty and wandered off down the hall towards the crying toddler. Kubla came running in and jumped onto the bed seeking attention.

"Hey Kubla."

She kissed his head and scratched the belly he so quickly offered. Belle wanted to ask what happened to Cam's ex-wife, but there would be time for that and she didn't want to ruin their evening, Ruby would tease her later for it, but she didn't care. She could hear Cameron's Scottish brogue soothing the child, but the cries didn't stop, in fact they grew louder as Cameron returned with the toddler cuddled close.

"Kubla, go to your bed." The animal obeyed her and padded off to his navy lounger dog bed on the other side of the bedroom, Belle thought it looked more comfortable than her own bed. "Good boy." The bed even had Kubla's name sewn into it.

Cameron lay down next to Belle with Bae on his chest, the two-year old clung to his father's silk night shirt as his tears darkened the fabric and Belle couldn't help but smile at the love Cam had for his son.

"Milah used to do this for him when he was a baby, rest him on her chest, it helped relax him." Cam's attempt didn't seem to be helping. "Maybe he's grown out of it."

Belle's heart ached that Cam had not been allowed to spend every moment with his son, it was clear how much that hurt the older man. A thought came to Belle.

"Perhaps it still does." He looked at her with confusion. "Maybe it's because you're not a woman."

"What do you mean?"

"Well there are clear differences between out chests. May I?" She gestured to a still crying Bae.

"Sure."

Belle took the child and rested him on her chest. Bae gripped the silk shirt instantly and within a few moments started to slow his tears until there was nothing but little hiccups. Even Kubla was pleased for the quiet.

"Just needed a woman's touch then." He teased.

"Here." She made to pass the child back but Cam stopped her.

"No, he's happy with you."

Belle felt the trust that Cam had placed in her and it only fed her teenage fantasy.

"I can help you with him if you'd like?" She hoped beyond hope he would say yes.

"I would like that, Belle. Very much." He turned on his side and pushed a strand of curly auburn hair behind her ear. "But what about class? You need all the rest you can get."

"Well I have a very qualified person to help me from home." She kissed his warm lips. "And in six months my English course is over, won't be a student."

"More importantly you won't be my student anymore, and I can tell the whole world that the most beautiful creature in existence for some reason unknown to man, loves me."

"What so you can officially lay claim to me?" The two laughed, but quickly silenced themselves when Bae started to shuffle.

"Something like that." His lips found her porcelain neck and started nibbling away.

"Six months and we are official then."

XXXX

Hours passed and Gold was the only one awake, he couldn't seem to sleep, not because of his ex-wife's death or Kubla snoring, but because of how perfect Belle looked holding his son in her sleeping arms. Belle didn't know it, but she wasn't the only one to build a fantasy; seeing them together it was just...right. It was like pieces of him had been missing, but now with Belle and Bae, he felt whole, like a piece long lost had been returned. In that moment he built a dream, a dream where he Belle and Bae could be together. A dream where no one could keep them apart and they could be happy. A little fantasy of a family and the dog.

 

 

 

 

Kubla...

  


 


	4. Skip A Chapter

When Belle finally went back to her apartment Ruby practically jumped on her and pulled her into the bright red bedroom that already held Victor and Jefferson. Victor had his arm wrapped around the brunette a soft smile decorating his face. Ruby pushed her down on the bed next to the boys and demanded with a grin.

"Details. Now."

Belle took a deep breath and fell back against the charcoal pillows while Ruby pushed Victor up the bed so she could squeeze on.

"What are we getting details on?" Jefferson asked curiously, his soulful eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, I have a test to prep for so I want to know why I'm here rather than doing that."

Victor was a biology student with aspirations of becoming a doctor, he and the slightly odd fashion student had been together for as long as anyone could remember and were the other two thirds of Belle's friends. Ruby often said that Belle was the smart one, Victor was the protective one and Jefferson was the funny one. When asked which one Ruby was she would just smile and say 'epic'.

"You didn't tell them?"

"I said I wouldn't."

Victor shuffled and moved to rest his head on Belle chest looking up at her beyond blue eyes, she couldn't help, but be reminded of Bae for a few seconds.

"Tell us what's going on or I promise I will tickle you to death." He chuckled poising his hands to carry out his threat.

"Fine, but tell no one."

"Consider it top-secret." Jefferson saluted her from somewhere behind Victor.

Belle took a deep breath, trying to decided where to begin. The blonde shuffled again getting comfortable for Belle's story and Jefferson dropped down to rest his chin on the blonde's hip while Ruby had somehow snaked up Belle's right side to get a view of Belle's face. Four people should not have fitted on Ruby's double bed quite so well.

"The...the boyfriend that you have never met," She began with a sigh. "his name is Cameron Gold. As in Professor Gold."

"Oh my God!" Jefferson and Victor screamed together, eyes widening in shock.

"I was on a ladder in the library a while back and I fell, he caught me and...and then he gave me a lift home because it was raining and Papa's apartment is on the other side of town. I...em...we..." Belle was cut off by Ruby.

"No way!" The two men and Belle looked over to her, eyebrows raised. "You had sex with him in the car."

It wasn't a question. All eyes went back to Belle as if asking for conformation. She nodded shyly.

"Yeah, and it was amazing."

"Wait, so you've been having sex with your English professor since before you and Ruby moved in here?" Victor gestured to the room.

"Six months." She admitted.

"Six months?! And you are only just telling Ruby and your gay best friends?"

"Sorry Jefferson, but I didn't know how you would react. I don't want him to lose his job and any way we only have to wait six more months and I finish my English course."

"What about your Library Science course? That's three years long."

"I don't know what I'm going to do, to be honest I just was some sleep."

"I've been dreaming of being able to sleep until noon again." Said Ruby randomly. Ruby was not a morning person, she was the sort of girl that you had to wake up with a very long stick from half a block away. "So what happened last night?"

"That call, it was about his ex-wife. She died. I offered to go with him to get his son and...and I don't know what happened. I think I started playing house, I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't bare to let go of Bae."

"Hang on, how old is this kid? I mean what's Gold, fifty?"

"Victor, don't exaggerate. He's forty-four and Bae is two. I..." Tears started to build in her eyes, emotion hitting her from nowhere. "I feel like everything has suddenly gone too fast, like...like I've skipped a chapter. In one night I've gone from being in love with my professor to playing happy families with him and his son. Bae's mother has just died and I'm trying to replace her. It's too fast and I don't know what's happening." Belle started to cry full force and Victor cuddled closer to her as comfort, the blonde was always the one Belle turned to for comfort.

"Belle." Jefferson began. "He let you into his home and never once told you to stop anything you did with the kid, right?"

"Yeah." She said between tears that Ruby was wiping from her eyes.

"Do you ever think he wants you to be a family? I mean look at you, if I was straight I'd want to play happy families with you." Victor teasingly slapped Jefferson's arm.

"He said he wanted to tell everyone he loved me. You know, in six months when he can." Her sobs slowed at the memory.

"Then how can this be too fast? It's as simple as this, you love him, he loves you. The kid, Ben?"

"Bae."

"Right, Bae would have let you know if he didn't like you. And in the last six months I haven't seen you happier. Now I know why." Victor explained.

"I don't know why, it just seems rushed."

"Some things are meant to be rushed, you can't just go at a snails pace like those two." Ruby gestured to the boys making Belle laugh.

"Excuse me, but I will have you know that with the speed this one goes at I have never had to scream faster in my life." Jefferson said proudly.

"Jeff!"

"Yeah, yeah. It can never just be, 'speaking of faster, Jeff go take your clothes off' can it Victor?"

The blonde silenced him with a soft kiss while Ruby let out a little 'aww' that couldn't help but cheer up Belle. Ruby suddenly snapped out of it.

"Guys, can we get back to Belle?"

There were two small sorry's cast in Belle and Ruby's direction and then the conversation carried on.

"Still it feels like something has been missed out." Belle sighed. "I guess I'm just scared that I'll get happy and then he won't want me anymore."

"Belle, I refer you to my previous 'if I was straight' statement."

The four friends talked for a long time and Belle couldn't have been happier with how accepting of Cam they were and how quickly they tried to help. Belle wanted her and Cam to be together and with Bae now in the picture she wanted it even more.

That night she lay in bed imagining what the next six months would be like, 'do the brave thing and bravery will follow' she told herself. Belle saw a real future with Cam and now with Bae too, she knew she wasn't his mother, but she hoped she would make the two-year old happy. She didn't understand half of what she was thinking, Belle thought that if her life was a story no one would understand it. Maybe that was for the best, what sort of story would it have been if everyone understood it straight away?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't understand this chapter don't worry you are not really meant to, this chapter is meant to be confusing and bounce about. Belle doesn't understand her own thoughts compleatly so how can the reader? This chapter is more about Belle's conections to Victor, Jefferson and Ruby than the relationship between Belle and Cam.


	5. A Comedy Of Errors

Belle's thoughts had calmed down and she had decided to listen to Victor's advice, 'you love him, he loves you', that was all that was important to her now. Belle was no longer a teenager with a crush, she was a young woman who had fallen in love and in six months when her college life with him finished she would have a family. She had always wanted a real family, her mother had died when she was very young and Belle had no siblings. Her father, Moe, had tried desperately to be there for her, but when the money problems had arisen certain things took a back burner. Belle loved her Papa more than she could put into words, but with Cam and Bae she had a real chance of a true family.

Victor had gotten a placement at the New York hospital for when he wasn't in Biology lectures and it had left Jefferson rather depressed; he missed his boyfriend. The girls didn't mind being with him, they always were anyway, but a depressed gay guy with what seemed to be a hat fetish did get tedious after a while, Belle and Ruby hadn't ever been so pleased to get into the lecturer hall. Ruby hadn't noticed until the day before, but Belle had somehow managed to move them from their normal seats in the middle of the lecture hall to the very front row, no one ever sat there, they were far too scared Professor Gold would eat them or something. Ruby didn't mind though, she no longer feared Gold now she'd seen the way his eyes sparkled with love when he looked at her best friend, he may have been a hard-ass, but she now knew he wasn't heartless.

Belle wore a denim a-line dress that came down to just before her knees with thin straps and little silver buttons that fastened down the whole front. A simple outfit, but it had been made with love by Jefferson for her birthday. She had seen a sketch for it one day in his and Victor's apartment and had said she liked it, two weeks later on her birthday Jefferson had presented her with the dress and to be honest Belle had felt like crying. Every time she wore it Belle felt loved.

Everyone took their seats and Cam in his best 'Professor Gold' voice started his lecture on Shakespeare's influences on the English language and literature. She loved his lectures, it always amazed her at how passionate he was about literature; no one else really noticed it because of their pure terror of him, but Belle did.

"The English language owes an eminence debt to William Shakespeare." Gold began. "He invented over seventeen-hundred of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original. Words such as 'vaulting' which first appeared in 'Henry The Six part Two'. Does anyone know line?"

The room was silent, Belle felt like she should know it, it was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite remember. Gold looked around with an eyebrow raised and then after a short time sighed.

"'The petty-vaulting sea refused to drown me, knowing that thou wouldst have me drown'd on shore, with tears as salt as sea, through thy unkindness'." He quoted, Belle couldn't help but smile at his reciting, she suddenly remembered the quote somewhere around line ninety-five she believed. He looked around the room and asked with a sigh. "Does anyone at least know who said that line?"

Belle thought for a moment and then looked over to the man she loved and raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss French?"

"Queen Margaret."

"Well it's nice to know one of you has read a play and actually taken in the information. Well done Miss French."

She had to hide a blush at his praise, but Ruby saw it and she began smiling to herself.

"Can anyone give me another word Shakespeare created?"

A timid hand went up at the back of the room, a hand that belonged to a girl just a little older than Belle with short dark hair and pale white skin.

"Yes, Miss Blanchard."

"G...gossip?"

"Is that a question or are you telling me, Miss Blanchard?" Mary Margret's eyes suddenly widened in fear, Professor Gold just smiled, he enjoyed teasing his more timid students. "You are correct anyway, Miss Blanchard." He had been planning on bringing up that one himself.

"The word originated in old English, godsibb, from the words God and sibb. It was originally a term for the godparents of a child. In the sixteenth century the word took on the new meaning of a person who engaged in idle talk. It was however, in the nineteenth century that the word 'gossip' moved from the speaker to the conversation between such people. But the verb to gossip meaning 'to be a gossip' first appeared in which Shakespeare play?"

It amazed Belle at just how much knowledge he had hidden away within his head, but Belle knew the answer, it was her favourite Shakespeare play and so she raised her hand for a second time.

"Miss French." His eyes always lit up when she answered his questions.

"'A Comedy Of Errors'. Aemelia said it. 'Go to a gossips' feast and go with me; after so long grief, such festivity'." She quoted.

"Anticipating my next questions, Miss French. Very good."

The class went on simply after that, Gold parting with his literary knowledge and scared teens scribbling down notes praying that he didn't give them a pop quiz. When he eventually shouted 'class dismissed' twenty percent of the room let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding, packed up and left like the room was on fire. Ruby and Belle linked arms as they always did and began making their way up the steps and out of the mint painted lecturer hall, until a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Belle, can I have a word? It'll only take a second."

She had told Cam about Ruby, Victor and Jefferson's knowledge of their relationship and how supportive they were being, so Gold had relaxed around Ruby, but only a little. Belle looked at Ruby and raised her hand indicating 'one minuet' and then clicked her white lace zip up heels over to the man she loved.

"Sexy." She said as she reached him.

"What?"

"You asked for a word. Sexy." Belle smiled.

"Alright then." Cameron took a breath. "Belle, I need to talk to you about something. I love you. And I know that we have only been together for six months but...but with Bae now I..." He tried to find the right words. "...I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you to do anything you don't want to do. I know that things have suddenly jumped, but that doesn't mean that..."

Belle silenced him with a kiss and Ruby suddenly averted her gaze.

"Oh you silly idiot." Cameron raised a questioning eyebrow. "I love you too. And I had my own little freak out a few days ago about 'skipping a chapter' but I came to realize that you are what I want. You...and Bae."

Her gentle smile warmed his stone heart, he didn't know it was possible, but those words, 'you and Bae' made him fall even more in love with her.

"Belle, how is someone so young and beautiful willing to give up her life for a cripple and his son?"

"Because" She pulled him into a hug. "I am not giving up my life, I'm adding to it."

"You know I think both the Gold men are in love with you."

"Oh?"

"Bae, he started saying 'where Belle' pretty much the moment you went home. And yesterday it stopped being 'where Belle' and became 'want Belle'. I think even Kubla misses you."

Belle's heart fluttered, she was so touched. Her family fantasy was once again fed and she kissed him again.

"I em...I could come over later, we could cook? I'll bring the stuff."

"I would like that very much, and so would Baedan."

The two shared another love filled kiss and then with a smile covering her face she clicked her heels back to Ruby and linked their arms once more; the two leaving the hall.

 


	6. A Family Meal

After her and Cameron's conversation that morning Belle had been in a good mood; a really good mood. She felt like a weight had been lifted and they could finally go back to just being in love without all the worries of feeling like one wouldn't want to be with the other anymore. When she really thought about it with a clear head all those little worries of the past few days, 'skipping a chapter', it seemed silly to her, like the small fears of a child. Belle flat out refused to be a child, she was a grown woman and could make her own choices as to her fate.

Belle couldn't wait to go to Cam's so they could cook together like they had planned, Belle had said she would 'surprise' him with ingredients. Cameron Gold was not the best of cooks, he could follow a recipe just fine and in forty-four years it had worked out alright, but other than that he was hopeless. Belle's mother had died when she was a very young, but Colette had taught her father much in the time they were together and then he had taught Belle. She practically skipped through the apartment from the bathroom to her bedroom, Ruby just smiled from her place on the couch with her cell phone.

Just as Belle was finishing her make-up a knock came at the door and within seconds Ruby had it open. From the 'oof' noise Belle guessed she had pulled Victor into a huge hug; they hadn't seen him in three days thanks to his work at the hospital. Victor went past Cameron's home on his way to the hospital pretty much every single day and so she had asked if he could give her a ride, with how protective Victor was of Belle and Ruby he had agreed instantly. Belle was just happy to get to spend a little time with him, she had missed him since he got his placement at the hospital.

"Hey Victor." She greeted as she entered the reasonably sized living area.

"Hi Belle, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me grab my jacket and bag."

Victor nodded and was pulled off by Ruby to see something on her cell while Belle nipped back into her room to grab her emerald short military jacket. She could hear giggling coming from the next room and guessed it was that funny picture of the fat cat and the kitten with the caption that read 'you're funny, I'll eat you last', she had to admit it had made her chuckle. When she came back Ruby had Victor in yet another hug, he looked slightly like he could pop.

"Are you going to let him go, Ruby?" Belle asked as she took all her ingredients out of the small refrigerator in the kitchenette and moved them to a pale purple canvas bag.

"Maybe." She teased.

"Tell you what, you let go and I'll take you, Belle and Jeff for lunch next Thursday, yeah?" He compromised.

Ruby nodded into his neck and finally released the blonde. Belle spent a few moments saying 'bye' to her roommate and then left with Victor falling in to step beside her. They lived on the fifth floor and the elevator at the end of the hideous green hall had been broken for two months, to be honest it was beginning to get on Belle's nerves.

"Oh, hello Mister Theroux." Greeted Belle as she and Victor rounded the corner to the stairs.

"Hey, Miss French." Maxwell Theroux was an older man, somewhere in his sixty's. He had thinning grey hair and such dark blue eyes that on first glance they looked brown. His teeth were a dazzling white and his mood was always cheerful, kind and friendly. Maxwell or Max as he preferred was the handy man who lived on the ground floor with his wife of forty years, Marianne. He would never say it to the man's face, but Victor thought he sounded like Bob Newhart. "How are you today?"

"I'm well, better if I didn't have to keep going up and down these stairs." She smiled.

"I'm sorry, I did my back in a few months back and the landlord said that the elevator could wait until I was better."

"Oh that's alright, I could do with the exercise. How's your wife?"

"Marianne's very good, she's been baking all day. We're going to visit my sons Mark and Gareth tomorrow so she's baking cookies for the grandchildren. I'll bring you and Miss Lucas up some"

"That's sweet, thank you. Didn't one of your sons just have a new baby?"

"Yeah that's why we're going down. We're up to five now; Mark's got Lucy and Clarice." He smiled as he spoke. "And Gareth has Noah, Jesse and the new baby girl. You know she's a Belle too, well an Annabel."

"We're slowly taking over." The three laughed.

"Shame you're an Isabelle." Said Victor.

After their conversation, Victor and Belle made their way down the winding stairs and into Victor's car. They chatted about everything and nothing as the blonde drove through the New York streets; Jefferson, Ruby, books, his work at the hospital and God only knew what else. It was pleasant to have time with her friend again, he was such a hard worker, but they had missed him.

Eventually the car came to a stop outside the salmon house and Belle turned to her blonde friend. He looked adorable in his simple dark suit with matching tie and purple shirt, she was so used to seeing him in jeans and a t-shirt that for a moment she wondered if he was an alien. The suit was nothing as bespoke as Cameron's tailored ones but Victor still looked professional and dare she say handsome. Victor turned to look at the house.

"Belle, his house is pink." Victor announced.

"Yes I know."

"Are you sure he's not one of us?" Victor gestured to himself. "Because, I am one of me and even I wouldn't live in a pink house."

Belle just giggled. "I can assure you, I only have two gay men in my life."

"Good." The blonde finally turned his head back to the auburn haired beauty. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Victor."

"Okay, but you need anything, you call. Alright?" He was so protective, it came from losing his younger brother all those years ago.

"I'll be fine." She assured and leaned across the car to hug him.

Belle slipped out of the car, picking up her bag on the way and rounded it to the sidewalk where she leaned down and pressed a kiss to Victor's cheek through the rolled down window.

"Thanks again, Victor."

"You're welcome."

Victor watched as she made her way up the steps and knocked on the door, that was just his way of making sure she was safe, he didn't wait for Gold to answer though; didn't want Belle to think he was acting like her father, he was protective, but like a brother rather than a parent. Belle heard the cars rumble off and smiled as at that moment she heard Cam's cane tapping on the hardwood.

"Hello Belle." He greeted when the door opened.

"Hey Cam." Belle stepped inside and pressed a kiss to his ever-soft lips. "I love you."

"I love you too. Bae will be pleased you're here, he's been driving Ashley insane."

Ashley Boyd was the nanny that Cam had hired for while he was at the college lecturing. She was young and pretty with long blonde hair that framed her pale face and showed off her big blue eyes. It was safe to say that Belle had been jealous of the blonde at first, she got to spend so much time with Bae and she greeted Cam when he came home from work, Belle knew that was silly and had quickly pushed it from her mind.

"And why is that?" She asked, her thoughts coming back to her.

"He has been saying 'want Belle' about 'a million times a minuet', according to her." Ashley had actually said ' a trillion times a minuet' but Gold hadn't really been listening to her.

Belle chuckled at that and then before another word could be uttered a small boy with chocolate eyes and dark hair came running from the living room, when he saw Belle a smile grew on the child's face, he ran up and wrapped his arms around her naked legs pressing his cheek into the soft skin, ruffling the fabric of her skirt.

"Belle! Belle! Belle!" She didn't know how one encounter with the two-year old had left such an impact, but Belle was pleased it was a positive one.

"Bae, come on lad. Let Belle go." Cameron's words were soft yet fatherly, it suited him.

The boy obeyed and looked up at her with what seemed to be awe, his little eyes sparkling in the afternoon light. He wore a pair of dark almost black jeans and a white and navy striped polo shirt, Belle thought he looked more adorable than the last time she had seen him, if that was possible. Bae reached up and took her hand trying to pull her off towards the living room.

"Come color."

Cam and Belle shared a look and a smile. She shrugged off the purple canvas bag and handed it to Cameron.

"Could you put that in the kitchen? I'd do it myself, but I have my orders."

He nodded. "Sure. He's demanding isn't he?" Cam took the bag and watched as Belle turned back to Bae.

"Come on then, 'lead on Macduff'."

Cameron chuckled as she was dragged off by his son, he was strong for a toddler. He liked her quote, even if it was may a misquote, but then again everyone misquoted it so he let it slide.

Belle was dragged along into the living room where Bae charged over to the coffee table and dropped to his knee's opening coloring books and moving crayons. He held his arms up as if saying 'come and sit with me', Belle understood perfectly and settled down beside the child.

"What are you drawing?" Kubla chose that moment to make himself known, jumping onto the couch behind them and resting his head between Bae and Belle as if trying to see what was going on. "Hello Kubla."

Bae picked up a slice of red apple from a small white plate that was set out on the table and started to nibble away on it. Belle didn't know it, but Bae loved apples, they were his favourite and Cam was more than fine with that. When Bae finished his last piece of apple his little fingers wrapped around a red crayon and began coloring in a cat. Suddenly he turned to Belle and held out a sky blue crayon, she took it with a smile. The two-year old pulled Humphrey close with his free hand, the bear had clearly been well loved and she couldn't help notice that Humphrey was a Steiff bear and those were not your standard cheep bear. Humphrey had a big black nose and eyes to match that contrasted wonderfully with his tan fuzz, she had never seen a bear so well made. His eyes seemed to glint with life and soul.

"Need blue eyes." Bae suddenly announce in that adorable childish way bringing Belle back to the moment.

"Oh so that's my job, I think I can do that. Why does he need blue eyes?" She started to color.

"So like yours."

Belle paused at that, she didn't know why, but it made her want to cry with happiness. She didn't understand why it gave her such an emotional response and she didn't think she ever would. So Belle decided to enjoy it.

"I noticed that you have white wine and Squid. Planning something big, dearie?"

Cam seated himself beside Kubla on the couch and Belle, from her place at the floor, rested her head on his good leg.

"It's not as complicated as it seems, my..." Whatever Belle was going to say next was cut off by Bae.

"Don't stop." Bae piped up and it was only then that Belle realized she had stopped coloring and was paying full attention to Cam. "Please."

"Sorry Sweetheart." Belle started coloring in the other eye, but kept glancing up to Cam who was tickling Kubla.

"You were saying?" Cam prompted as Kubla shuffled to practically sit in his lap.

"Oh, just that my mother taught it to my father because he's hopeless and he taught me."

The trio and Kubla spent a short while coloring and chatting about everything and nothing before making their way into the kitchen to begin cooking. Bae followed them in with Humphrey cuddled close to his chest, curious of what his Papa and Belle where doing.

"Cam would you slice the squid please?"

He nodded and pressed a kiss to her cupids bow lips before rounding the kitchen island to retrieve the squid. Belle got the eggs out and a glass bowl, just as she went to crack the first one she saw the way Bae had his head rested on the island looking to see what they were doing.

"Do you want to help me, Bae?" Bae nodded frantically and practically ran over to her, sitting Humphrey beside the egg box. Belle crouched a little and lifted Bae, settling him on the edge of the island with a smile. "Here." She said holding out an egg. "Just tap it on the edge of the bowl to break the shell."

Bae did as Belle had said and with her help they separated the eggs, they then mixed flour with white wine while Cam washed the squid. She let Bae beat the eggs, but at one point did have to slow him down when he got a little over eager. Cam got lost in his thoughts for about five minuets at the sight of Bae and Belle laughing and cooking together; it warmed his heart.

Dinner didn't take long and once the squid was deep fried Belle sliced a lemon and let Bae squeeze it onto the salty squid. Belle froze.

"Wait I didn't think this through, will Bae even eat this?"

"He's not picky. That and after you and him did all the hard work, I think he'll at least try it."

Belle grinned uncontrollably when Bae beamed at the taste and began eating like a man-man, Gold had to physically get him to slow down. 'Point to Belle' she told herself. The evening went smoothly after that, the two played with Bae and Kubla until his bedtime finally came and once tucked up Bae demanded Belle tell him a story.

"Alright then, Angel." Belle settled on the edge of his bed and he cuddled into her side, Cam smiled before wandering off to feed Kubla for the night. "What do you want to hear?"

Bae gestured to a blue hardback book with gold lettering that said 'Grimm Fairy Tales' on its front. Belle picked up the book and flipped through to where an elephant bookmark indicated.

"Hansel and Gretel. Alright, ready?" Bae nodded and Belle began to read. "Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel."

The story went on and Bae never took his eyes from the book, when Cam returned he just stood by the door and watched the scene before him with a smile; nothing needed to be said. Belle continued to read aloud.

"'Be quiet, Gretel,' said Hansel, 'do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us. And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside." It was beautiful hearing her read to his son. Soon the tale came to an end and Belle spoke the last line softly while smiling down on a yawning Bae. "Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness. The end."

Belle set the book down and pressed a kiss to Bae's little forehead. Cameron's cane tapped as he entered the room to say his own 'good-night' to his son. Humphrey was cuddled closer than anyone thought possible giving a childish sense of safety.

"Night, my boy."

"Night Papa. Night Belle."

Bae fell asleep almost instantly, he had enjoyed a long day with Ashley and then with his Papa and Belle. Nothing like that night had ever happened when he was with the other woman, even at the age of two he knew that the other woman hadn't really liked him. Milah had taken care of Bae yes, but he had never really felt love from her, not like he did from his Papa and now Belle. Baedan was incredibly grown up for his age and Gold knew it. Milah was like a strict nanny while Belle was like, well... a Mama.

The door shut behind them and the two adults retired to Cameron's bedroom where Belle pushed him down on the bed, pressing kiss after kiss to his warm body; his cane clattering to the floor. Eventually, in need for air, she pulled back.

"So, Bae got the story he wanted. What does Papa want?" She bit her lip seductively.

"Well it's going to take more than a story for me, dearie."

Belle just giggled and kissed him again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Humphrey...

 


	7. Popcorn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did this chapter real quick so please forgive any typos.

Belle loved the way Cam would hold her after sex, he was warm and loving and Cam made her feel like he couldn't live without her. Cameron was coming to believe that he couldn't. They lay there in the dark, arms wrapped around each other, their naked bodies slotted together like they were made for one another.

"I love you Cam."

"I love you too, my sweet Belle."

She rested her right hand on his chest and cuddled her face into his shoulder. He was warm and smelt of...well him; Belle could never get enough of that smell. Her heart fluttered with happiness and she wished that he would never let go of her.

"Belle, I need to tell you something." Belle propped herself up so she could look into Cameron's dark eyes. "I...I'm going to go up to Chicago with Bae. Milah, her parents died in a car crash and she was an only child. I em...I need to plan her funeral, Bae needs to say good-bye to her."

"How long will you be gone?" Belle whispered.

Gold was beyond pleased that she hadn't argued, if she had asked him to stay wrapped up with her forever, well, Cam probably would have.

"No more than a week, I promise. I and Bae were all she really had other than a few friends and that on again off again boyfriend of hers."

"You don't have to explain to me, Cam. She was Bae's mother, he should say goodbye. Promise you'll call me right? I don't want to sit around doing nothing."

"Don't worry, I think Bae will refuse to go to sleep without wishing you a goodnight. That and if you don't want to 'sit around doing nothing' I'll make sure to weight you down with essays and research projects." Cam chuckled.

"Professor Gold, how mean." Belle's voice was teasing.

"Well, Miss French I am a cruel man. Ask anyone in your class, I thought Miss Blanchard was going to run away for a moment earlier."

The two smiled remembering how Mary Margaret's eyes had widened with fear. She had always been so timid and Belle had to admit his teasing of the snow white skinned girl had been a little amusing.

"Oh don't let me forget to take Kubla's dog bed."

Belle sat up, looking down at him her face a little upset. Gold sensed something was wrong and gripped her a little closer pulling her back to him.

"You're taking Kubla too?"

"I know its silly, but Kubla's my best friend and Bae loves him. I can't leave him."

"Yeah, I guess." She sighed.

"Belle, Sweetheart. What's wrong?" He brushed a loose strand of auburn hair back behind her ear.

"It's just, I've gotten used to there being a dog around. My Papa is allergic to dogs, cats too, so I never got a pet."

Cameron smiled and pulled her closer still, her body warm and soft against the silk bedsheets. Even though it was dark the blue of Belle's eyes shone out like a lighthouse on a stormy night.

"Dearest, I will not be gone long. I don't want to leave you either, but I must. You have Ruby, Victor and..." He tried to remember the name for a moment. "...and the other one, to talk to."

That made Belle laugh, like all her worries evanesced. She pressed a loving kiss to his cheek.

"His name is Jefferson." Cam just nodded storing the knowledge away. "At least they don't smell like dog."

"That's it, look on the bright side, dearie."

XXXX

Just like he said Cameron left his class with a large research project to do on Dracula since they were moving from Shakespeare's tragedies and onto Gothic novels. Belle was secretly thankful that she would have something to concentrate on while he was away, everyone else just wanted to kill him for the gargantuan task. Professor Gold had dismissed his class early so as he could go get his son from Ashley and catch his flight, he didn't really like planes, but it was the quickest way of getting there; the sooner he got to Chicago the sooner he could come home. Sensing Belle's misery Ruby had insisted they go home and watch a movie with 'ten tonne of popcorn' as she put it.

When they had moved in Belle and Ruby had spent days decorating so that the apartment was just how they wanted it, the walls had original been a bright orange that was almost blinding, but after a lick of paint and a lot of laughing the room had become a forest green that worked wonderfully with the black couch and white tiles of the kitchen. The place was small, the couch had its back to the door and looked over to the television opposite. To the left of the living room was Belle's bedroom while the right held the small open kitchen, once in the kitchen there were two more doors right next to each other made of white painted wood. The one on the far right held the little bathroom while the one on the left revealed Ruby's bright red bomb sight of a bedroom. There wasn't very much in the main room, just a pot plant by the front door and obviously the couch and television, also a large black fury carpet between the two topped with a coffee table covered in Ruby's magazines. Simple, but they called it home.

Belle clicked her heels along the hardwood floor, a large glass bowl of popcorn in her hands as Ruby set up the movie, The Bourne Legacy. Ruby had a little obsession with Jeremy Renner and to be honest so did Belle, he had beautiful hands and such big gorgeous eyes that even rivalled Cameron's. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Belle had a thing for older men; Jeremy Renner, Norman Reedus, Misha Collins and of course Cameron Gold. She liked men that were not deemed 'classically handsome' no, men with character were more Belle's thing.

"Come on, hurry up." Ruby insisted, gesturing with both hands for her friend to speed up.

"Fine, fine." Belle set the bowl down on the dark coffee table and took a seat beside her friend.

The two munched away on toffee popcorn and sipped their root beers while they drooled over Jeremy Renner without a shirt on, that was until a knock came at the door. Ruby paused the film and watched as Belle stood and walked over to the door; opening it she found Cameron with a paper bag larger than any she had seen before, it was almost half his height and Belle could easily fit herself, Ruby and Cam into it with space to spare, there were also a few smaller bags.

"Cam, what are you doing here?" She asked looking at her watch. "Doesn't your plane leave soon?"

"Yes it does, just a quick stop here and then I, Bae and Kubla are off to the airport. I have a present for you." He leaned across the threshold of the door and kissed her softly.

"A paper bag, what I've always wanted." She teased him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Well if you're going to be all sarcastic I will just take it back."

Gold turned as if to leave, but Belle grabbed hold of him and pulled the older man to her, giving him another love filled kiss. Her soft auburn curls tickled his face but Gold didn't mind. Belle eventually pulled back partially for air, but mainly because she wanted to know what her present was.

"So, what's in the bags?"

"Oh that, that's to go with your present. Your real present is..."

Cameron was cut off by a bark. Belle's eyes widened and she pushed him backwards a little, causing him to stumble slightly, and jumped out the apartment into the corridor where she saw an oh so fluffy white dog; Belle squealed in delight and turned back to Cam.

"You got me a dog?!"

"You said you never had a pet, and I didn't want you to feel odd and lonely without Kubla."

Belle dropped to her knees before the animal and looked at its dark eyes and nose with awe; she had never been so happy.

"Do you like her?"

"Like her?" She didn't look away from the animal. "I love her. What breed is she? What's her name?"

She couldn't see it but Gold had a pleased grin on his face and had planted his feet a little apart with his fingers laced over his cane; she wouldn't be knocking him over again.

"She is a year old Samoyed and as for her name, why don't you look at her collar and tell me, dearie?"

The collar was fine leather with two rows of silver studs that went around the whole collar; it matched Kubla's perfectly only his was black while her new pet's was sky blue. In the middle was a bronze plate and in capitals engraved into the metal above her cell number was the name 'Cordelia'.

"Cordelia, as in my favourite King Lear female?"

"But of course, there was a male I debated over for a while. I would have called him Edmund."

"Ahh the bastard son. My favourite." She stood and pulled Cam into a tight loving hug. "I love you."

"I love you too. And I am glad you like her." Mid hug he gestured towards the bags behind him. "I got her a dog bed or two and some toys, food, other bits for her too. Everything you need for a while."

"Thank you Cam. She's perfect, I love her, I love you." Her words came out far faster than she had planned, but it just made him smile and eventually she released him.

"I would love to stay longer, but I..."

"Have to catch your flight." She interrupted. "I know, go on I need to find places for all her things." Belle's grin was brighter than the high noon sun.

"Alright, you go play decorating. I'll see you next week. I love you."

"I love you too."

With one final kiss Gold left and Belle ushered the dog into her apartment. As she gathered the bags that were nowhere near as heavy as they looked. Suddenly Belle heard Ruby let out an 'aww' that just made her smile.

"Where did the dog come from?" Ruby asked as Belle shut the door behind her.

"Cameron. I said some stuff about never having a pet and how I liked Kubla being around and well, he got me a dog." She sang the last part of her sentence then set the bags down before speaking again. "Ruby, this is Cordelia."

Cordelia looked over to the television where the movie was still paused on a shirtless Jeremy Renner and then padded over and sat down in front of it as if telling the humans to 'press play'.

"She likes Jeremy so she has my vote." Just like that Ruby bonded to the animal.

It didn't take long for Belle to find a place for the large dog bed that was very similar to Kubla's only it was white and had 'Cordelia' sewn into it, that had gone into her bedroom while a smaller blue one had been placed next to the coffee table while the toys found their way into a large pine box that up until then had just been decorative.

XXXX

That night Belle lay awake with Cordelia curled up on her bed rather than where she was meant to be, just thinking about Cam and Bae and if they were alright. Belle didn't like being away from them, not after their dinner and how deeply she had fallen in love with the two-year old. Cordelia was more than a dog to comfort her, she was a symbol of how much Cameron loved her and with the Samoyed so close she would never forget it. The animal was perfect and Belle knew that with Cordelia the next few days wouldn't be so lonely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cordelia....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I have my own obsession with Jeremy Renner, if you hadn't guessed. :-)


	8. Shapes In The Dark

It was half past four when Cam and Belle got into her Papa's apartment and just as she had promised Moe French was out at his poker game with his friends Isaac, Jim, Aiden, Chris and Lewis. Two days had passed since the amazing escapade in his Cadillac and the student and Professor had thought of nothing else since, it filled their every waking moment. Cameron's chocolate eyes watched as Belle slipped her dark wool coat off, leaving her in a thin green tank top and short dark skirt that she had worn simply for him; Belle loved the way he looked at her exposed skin. Gold had always thought her beautiful, but at that moment looking at her soft, but teasing smile, her almost impossibly blue eyes, he knew that 'beautiful' didn't even come close to describing her, maybe the words didn't yet exist. The French's apartment was small and quaint, painted in a color somewhere between red and orange. Gold didn't really notice though, he was still too busy looking at the perfect milky flesh of her thighs.

"I know it's nothing much, but I call it home." She sounded embarrassed.

Gold smiled softly at the auburn haired beauty and reassuringly slipped an arm around her waist; looking into her gorgeous eyes.

"On the contrary, it reminds me much of my childhood."

Belle wanted to ask about that, but she could see in his eyes that there was something painful lurking there and so Belle decided to leave that topic for another day and instead to pull him down on the couch and cuddle close. Neither spoke for a long time, they just sat there in the arms of the other enjoying the quiet and togetherness, the peace and warmth.

Belle had forced herself to leave his arms long enough to order a pizza, but was rather perturbed when it showed up mid make out session. They ate and talked for a short while, just getting to know one another; he learnt that her mother had died from cancer when she was three, while on a happier note he discovered her favourite flower was the Vanda Orchid because of its intense purple-blue color, and that she had a dream to become a librarian where she would be surrounded by literature and worlds where anything and everything could happen. Cameron had taken a little more convincing, but he eventually started opening up to her, about when Milah left him, the heart defect that would eventually win and caused her death; even the car crash that had left his leg beyond repair. There had been such sorrow in his life, however, now that Belle was there he was to have love and kindness to fill his life instead. The pizza soon vanished until just a few crusts where left, Belle didn't like them and would always leave the crusts for her Papa, who thought they were the best bit. However, with Moe at his friends the pizza crusts just gathered in the box.

Touches slowly grew in boldness, Belle loved every moment of it and felt like she couldn't get enough. A delightful warmth grew deep down that was more than welcomed, it pooled and tingled, filling her with uncontrollable want and desire. His long slender fingers slipped down under her skirt...

XXXX

Belle woke suddenly, eyes blinking more rapidly than she knew possible as the beauty attempted to figure out where she was and why Cam wasn't there. Eventually Belle realized she had been dreaming and turned on her side, ears filled with the sound of sheets ruffling, shapes appearing from the early morning darkness. Belle missed Cameron with every fibre of her being, her heart physically ached for him, and her only wish was for him to come back to her so as she could hold him tight and banish the painful feeling of loneliness that had plagued her since the day he left for Chicago. Belle wanted to hold Bae in her arms and read him a bedtime story, kiss his little hands and know that everything was alright. There was a ball of white beside her bed, at first Belle couldn't make it out, all fuzzy and blurred. Belle wiped the sleep from her eyes so she could look again. With her eyes more alert she could make out the smiling face of Cordelia looking up at her.

"Hey girl." She greeted. "Come on."

Cordelia obeyed and jumped up onto the bed and settled on the space that Belle had patted. The animal curled up next to her and Belle wrapped an arm around her seeking the comfort that Cordelia offered. Cam had wanted his sweet girl to feel safe and happy, to be void of loneliness while he was gone and Cordelia was trying her best, but she wasn't him.

"I miss him Cord. I really do." The Samoyed seemed to know Belle's pain and nuzzled into her owner's shoulder showing compassion and love. "We just have to wait a little longer, and he will be home. You can meet Kubla, I know you would like him. Just a little longer."

XXXX

Warm orange sunlight intermittently shone through the dancing leaves of the trees that line the Gothic cemetery. There were no sounds, not even the soft chirp of birds in far-off nests, nothing. Cameron stood by the newly filled grave, his cane in his right hand and Bae supported in the other.

"You are a very strong boy, you know that?" Baedan nodded into his father's suit clad chest. "Say 'good-bye' to your other, Bae."

Gold knew his son's bond with Milah was almost non-existent , she hadn't been an overly loving mother and as much as Cam would have liked Bae to forget her altogether, she was still his mother.

"Bye mother." He whispered, Bae had never really seen her as a mother, but that was the word she had always made him use.

Gold stood there for a while holding Bae close, just thinking about the past. It was when he thought of the future though that a smile filled his face, a true honest smile.

"Papa?"

Gold was pulled out of his thoughts thanks to Bae who was looking at him with a questioning face.

"What is it, Bae?"

"Can we go home?" The two-year old looked down to the mounded soil and then back up to his father. "Want Belle."

That made Cam smile and pull his darling son closer.

"Okay Bae, we'll go home. We'll go to Belle."

XXXX

Bae watched his father on the drive home, every inch closer to Belle they got seemed to make Cam happier and happier. The little boy had always loved his Papa, but couldn't help but notice how sad he had always been, it was clear even to a child, Belle had changed that, not just for his Papa, but for him as well. Belle was a beam of light that now neither could be without, a necessity like air or water. Bae loved her and it was clear that Cam did too, Bae just had to figure out how to tell her.

 


	9. First Day Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short but its kind of a 'oh crap there's Regina' chapter  
> Enjoy

"Hello Gold."

Cameron's whole body cringed at the sickly sweet voice as it reverberated around the mint lecture hall. It was early, too early for her crap and he had only just got back from Chicago.

"Dean Mills, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Regina made her way over to his desk, smugness wrapped around her like a protective cape. All Cam wanted was for her to just go away and leave him the hell alone, he really wasn't in the mood to deal with her silly little games. Regina liked to think she had all the staff under her thumb and for a lot of the teachers she was right, but Gold had the most power and that scared her. Everywhere he went he could control people with very little effort, it was just a skill of his. Professor Hopper was easily controlled, just wording sentences in the right way. Holland, Urie and Way over in the History department responded well to threats, so did Johnson and Young from Biology. Momsen and Brick where a little tougher, most likely due to being hippy art freaks, God he hated art teachers, in the end though it was being polite that scared them into submission. No matter who Regina had control of Cam could shift their loyalty in seconds and Regina Mills hated him for that.

"Oh I just came to say 'hello' and to welcome you back."

"Well you have, dearie." Cam said dismissively and set his briefcase down under his desk before taking a seat showing her that he didn't fear her. "If that's all I do have a class to teach in ten minuets."

"Yes, you do enjoy your teaching don't you, Gold? All those pretty young faces." Her voice was meant to be subtly accusing, but Regina could do nothing subtly, she was like a bull in a china shop. Gold leaned back in his leather chair.

"Are you trying to tell me something, dearie?

"Oh I see the way you look at that girl, I expected more from you."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come now." She offered that annoying self-satisfied grin that she used when she thought she'd won, Regina still hadn't realized that she could never beat him. "She's pretty I'll give you that but really Gold, lusting after such a pretty young thing. Such a shame you can only look at little Miss French."

A wave of relief washed over Cameron as he realized that Regina had no real knowledge of him and Belle. Oh thank God he thought, Cameron and more importantly Belle, were safe. She had nothing.

"Yes, such a shame." He sneered disparagingly.

"What is her name?" Dean Mills knew exactly what her name was, she was just trying to twist the knife. "Margie? Verna?"

"Belle."

"Right."

Cameron wasn't going to let Regina have her fun, he had a class to teach. There was the odd student stood outside the door not wanting to be early and interrupt Gold and Dean Mills but also not wanting to be late.

"Regina I have a class to teach, so, we're done."

Dean Mills would never in a million years admit it, even to herself, but she was afraid of Gold. He had the power to carry out his threats, he was more powerful and always would be. The complacent forced grin reappeared on her face and without a word she walked up the dark carpeted stairs and out the double doors of his lecturer hall. God how he hated her.

A few minuets passed and then his students began making their way in and to their seats, worried about how their Dracula research projects would be. He really couldn't be bothered to read them, but he hadn't really been able to think of anything else for them to do while he was gone and Belle excelled at research projects.

He had started his day thinking about seeing Belle again, but Regina had shoved his happy mood over a steep cliff and left him broken and annoyed at the rocky bottom. Cameron set his things up on the desk, opening books to certain pages so he could begin his lesson and then he looked up. His pleasant mood came flooding back at the sight of Belle in a rather short skirt and a big grin on her face. She was an angel who had caught him and returned him to the top of the cliff. Belle had a superpower and it gave her the ability to see the good in others, but when there was none there...she created it.

Seeing her he knew; everything was going to be alright.

 


	10. Mama

He had been waiting for that moment all day, the second he could push her through his door and pin her to the nearest wall and kiss her senseless. Cam had kind of had it planned that was why Ashley had Bae until five. He had noticed she was not too happy earlier as she entered the lecture hall and wanted to put the smile back on her face. Cameron didn't know it, but it was due to the creep in a leather jacket who had stolen her favourite bag, it had her purse with all her money in it, her birth control pills, fifty percent of her Dracula notes. Fortunately, her cell phone had been in her pocket. Belle wore a tight fitted white tee with 'My Chemical Romance' scrawled over it with a boyfriend style black waistcoat. Her beautiful milky arms where bare and Cam wasted no time in coating them in soft and gentle kisses while his nimble fingers found their way to her thighs, it was easy thanks to her black peplum skirt that could only be described as Ruby length. Belle had worn it simply because she knew Cam was back and wanted to watch him drool.

The kissing continued and somehow they made it to his bedroom where they collapsed on the silk sheeted bed, Cameron hovering over her taking in the teen's beauty. Somewhere along the way her waistcoat had been dropped while his suit jacket was forgotten in the doorway to his bedroom; his lemon tie soon joined it.

"I love you." She kissed him like he had never been kissed before.

"I love you too, my darling Belle."

Within seconds Cameron had the soft fitted tee off her slender body and was nibbling teasingly on her clavicle, pulling pant like moans from the woman he loved; biting and sucking, leaving the perfect claiming mark. Suddenly and without warning Belle flipped them then pushed him down on his back to straddle him, Cam had never seen anything more beautiful or brave. How he had missed her. She leaned down to kiss him, her curled hair tickling his cheek. Gold ran his hands up her warm thighs as he explored her mouth with his tongue. He could taste the Maple Syrup on her pink glossed lips, the perfect sweetness left over from breakfast. His kissing continued, a torture of pleasure, Cam's lips came to a halt when he reached her lace blue bra. He smiled and shredded her of the offending fabric, revealing her to him. Gold's eyes feasted on her like she was the most valuable of artwork, if it had been anyone else Belle would have felt like she was being eaten alive, but with Cam she just felt like he was praising her, admiring her, worshipping her.

Belle bit her bottom lip in the most seductive of ways and unzipped her skirt, wriggling out of it and kicking it to the floor with her blue panties. Cameron took a delicate nipple into his mouth teasing the bud while doing the same for the other breast with his hand, Belle moaned at the feeling as sparks flew behind her eyes, she could feel in his caresses and how much he loved her. Gold was truly devoted to her. Loved her beyond all reason. Belle's nails trailed over his shirt, slowly opening the tiny black buttons. Pushing the fabric open, Cameron was surprisingly lean for an older man, handsome and had on more than one occasion proved to be stronger than he looked; the library incident came to mind. She smiled and pushed the midnight black shirt over his shoulders, down his arms and it quickly joined the long line of clothes on his cherry wood floor. Gold could just lay there and look at her porcelain white skin forever, but then she wiggled her hips causing Gold to moan uncontrollably. Belle smiled at that because she had gotten just what she wanted and so she did it again. Another moan, louder that time.

Cam's hands fell to stroke her soft thighs as those aqua blue eyes trailed down his chest to his silver belt buckle, nimble yellow-painted fingers clicking it open letting the constriction in his pants ease a little, only a little. Belle suddenly rolled off him, Gold froze for a few seconds before snapping back and ridding himself of his pants and silk boxers with a little help from her. Belle knelt back over him and kissed up his warm hairless chest to meet his inviting mouth again, his hands found her hips as he pulled back for air. His tongue lapped at her clavicle, praising the claiming mark with his tongue pulling moan after moan from her lips. She was his and he was never going to let her go. She was _his,_ only _his_ , well maybe he would share her with Bae; but that was it.

Belle seemed to have had enough of waiting and gasped out.

"Cam, please."

He could never deny her, not his Belle. She moved her hand down taking the hardened Professor in hand, in seconds she lined them up and he brought them closer than they had ever been. She gasped into Gold's ear. Belle had desperately missed him.

"Move!" She begged.

Cam watched as Belle arched her back to Gold's touch as if telling him not to hold back. He gripped her hips and pulled Belle down on himself, there was a moan, but they where too lost in lust to know who it had come from; maybe both of them. The pace was slow at first but it soon built up, Belle pressed her hands to his chest helping her to keep the rhythm. The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoing around the room.

"Faster!" She half screamed.

Just as he had Belle bordering on the edge she grabbed Gold by the shoulders and pulled him up to kiss her once again; it was the most passionate thing he had ever experienced and couldn't get enough. The warm wet at her core was practically spilling over, but Belle was determined to hold on, she wanted that heavenly feeling to last forever. Gold had made it his mission to make her scream his name and stated to thrust deeper, harder, faster. Until Belle suddenly fell over the edge, digging her nails into his shoulders hard enough to draw blood as she shouted out.

"Cam!"

Hearing his name on her breathless lips forced his own white heaven as well, gripping her thighs hard enough to bruise filling her with his seed. Belle collapsed on top of him for a few moments breathless, before sliding to his side and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you."

"I noticed." He giggled.

Neither spoke for a time, they just enjoyed being together again. Belle finally felt like safety had returned to her, revelling in his touch and love. Hours seemed to pass, but in reality it was only about twenty minuets before she broke the comfortable silence.

"Why was Dean Mills in the lecturer hall earlier? She looked pissed when she left."

Cameron pulled her tighter to him, wrapping her in a loving embrace. He pressed a love filled kiss to her forehead and sighed.

"She thinks I like you, fantasize about you."

"She knows?!" Belle looked panicked and sat up to look down at him. "Oh God!"

"No, no Belle. It's alright." He reassured the teen and pulled her back to him. "She thinks I like you, but that is all she knows. Regina has no idea we're together. She thinks that you would rather set me on fire that let me fuck you."

Thankfully Belle seemed to calm down and let Cam hold her close, that always made her feel safe.

"You've never 'fucked' me, Cam." Gold was confused for a moment, his chocolate eyes meeting her azure blue ones. She smiled and his fear seemed to drain away. "You have never 'fucked' me, you make love to me."

Cam grinned more than he thought possible and his heart filled to bursting point with love.

"Oh I love you."

"I love you too, Cam." They shared a kiss. "But what if she does find out?"

"She won't, and even if she does, who cares? Your English course is almost over. You have enough extra credit and the grades to warrant early graduation if needs be."

"But what about you? You would be fired."

"Good. Maybe I could go do my dream." He said with a smile and Belle grew curios.

"Dream?"

"Its silly."

"Silly and Cameron Gold are not two things that go together very well." She smiled warmly. He laughed.

"I em...you know how my house is covered in antiques?" Belle nodded. "Well, I wanted to live in a small quiet town where I could just, I don't know, have a little antique shop and fix things. Now though its grown and I imagine a little library maybe down the street where I can see you, pin you to shelves." Belle stifled a giggle.

"That's not silly, its sweet. You know," She began. "Ruby and Victor, they grew up in this little town in Maine. We all went to Boston on vacation and that's how we met. It's small and quiet, Ruby is doing an accounting degree so she can take over her Granny's diner, Victor wants to work at the hospital and Jeff is going to go with him. I was thinking of going for a while but..." She trailed off

"Are you asking me to move with you to nowhere, Maine?" His voice was teasing.

"Do you want to?"

"I would like nothing more, my darling." Belle cuddled in close. "Tell you what, when you graduated I'll take early retirement and we can go to Maine, just like you want."

"You would do that for me?"

"Darling, I would do anything for you. Anything."

Silence settled in again for a few moments as the two kissed and savoured each other's loving touches.

"Did we just plan our future?"

"You know Sweetheart, I think we did."

XXXX

Eventually Belle and Cameron got dressed and started dinner. They had decided on a simple meal of Lasagne since it was Bae's favourite. At five on the dot Ashley came in with a sleepy looking two year old, the second he saw Belle that changed, his eyes widened and he stretched his arms out desperate for her to hold him. All three smiled until Bae opened his mouth.

"Mama!"

Everyone froze and Ashley became very uncomfortable very quickly. She pushed Bae into Belle's arms and gave them a quick 'bye' before charging out the door. Belle wanted to smile, but she was scared it wold make things more awkward and annoy Cam.

"I didn't make him do that. I didn't, I promise..."

Cameron cut her off by wrapping both her and his son in his loving embrace.

"It's not your fault, dearest. I should have seen this coming, he loves you."

"You're not angry?"

"How could I ever be? He loves you and you love him, you are the only person to be ever be a real mother to him, Belle. Blood doesn't make you family, love does."

"Mama?" Bae said again and this time Belle let herself smile; everything she had wanted was happening.

"Yes, my baby boy."

"Love you, Mama."

At that moment Belle's heart clenched in a feeling she couldn't explain, all she knew was it was a feeling of love, happiness, wonder and just a little bit of fear. Belle couldn't believe what was happening, her little fantasy had come true.

The moment Bae had seen Belle a smile came to his face. Ever since his Papa had taken him to Chicago to say good-bye to the nasty woman the boy had been trying to find a way to tell Belle how he felt that she wasn't Belle to him, no, she was Mama. _His_ Mama. He had racked his two-year old brain looking for some way to say it without angering either adult, he knew how quickly adult's moods could change. The little boy had come up with no way of saying it and so his body seemed to have just taken over and done it for him, letting the word tumble from his lips. He had never thought of just saying it, but he was glad he had, she hadn't yelled, hadn't been angry and nor had his Papa in fact they had smiled. They were no longer Papa, Bae and the girl with the sweet smile. No, they were Papa, Bae...and Mama. A Family.

 


	11. Two Lines

Belle woke suddenly like she had for the last three days, for a moment she didn't know why she had awoken; Cordelia was asleep in her bed, Ruby was clearly awake, but quiet and Mister Carpenter's television was on a reasonable volume. So why had she woken so suddenly? Then, the next wave hit her. Belle threw off her silver-grey covers, waking Cordelia with the sudden movement, and charged through the little apartment, passed Ruby who was reading a magazine on the small couch, into the kitchen and then to the bathroom slamming the white door behind her. From there Belle proceeded to throw the little contents of her stomach up.

Belle's stomach contacted savagely, like she had been punched repeatedly in the gut, her body purging itself. She heaved again, throat burning and eyes stinging as acidic tears built. Her cerulean painted fingers curled almost into fists as Belle gripped the sides of the toilet, she felt so weak, but still managed an iron strong grip. Belle could feel the stomach acid coating on her teeth, foul, wretched, and longed to brush it away but she couldn't bring herself to stand and walk, or more likely stumble, the few steps to the basin and her toothbrush. The smell of vomit filled her lungs making her gag again, but there was nothing left to come up and so Belle slumped off her aching knees to the floor, it was cold, but Belle didn't care, she just sat there desperately trying to get air into her deprived body. A worried knock came at the door.

"Belle, hun are you alright?" Ruby sounded somewhat panicked. "Belle?"

The auburn haired beauty took a slow breath and somehow found the strength to stand up and open the bathroom door, coming face-to-face with Ruby, who was worrying her scarlet lips.

"Yeah." Belle began slowly, it was still a little hard to speak due to the burning feeling in her throat. "I must have eaten something bad, I'm fine."

Only then did she notice Cordelia by Ruby's feet wearing a similarly concerned look. It amazed Belle at how much animals could say through their eyes.

"Hey girl, didn't mean to scare you. Sorry Cord." The Samoyed barked in response and nuzzled at her owner's legs, providing comfort and love.

"Belle, you've been like this for days. Are you sure you're alright? I mean you've been complaining about pain too so..." Belle cut her off.

"I'm fine, really. Any woman's breasts will hurt if you slept on them and I think that I will..." Belle paused her eyes widening in horror and realization. "...Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!"

"What!?" Ruby looked terrified and rested her hands on Belle's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Belle just stood there with her hand in her hair, she looked petrified beyond all reason and to be honest she looked like she would throw up again; if there was anything let in her stomach. Instead, Belle began to cry, panicked tears that flowed over her pale cheeks like waterfalls.

"Oh God! No, no, no. This can't be happening, no, no, oh God, no."

"Belle!" Ruby screamed dragging Belle's attention back to the taller girl. "What is it? What's wrong?" She looked one second away from shaking Belle.

"Oh God!"

The tears kept falling and Belle couldn't bring herself to look anywhere but the white tiled kitchen floor. Cordelia stayed close worried over her Mistress' sudden explosion of emotion, dogs were incredibly intuitive and Cord more so than average.

"No more oh God-ing okay? Tell me what's wrong."

Belle took a deep breath and wiped away the cascading tears, but it was pointless, new shed ones just replaced the old.

"Y...you remember a few w...weeks ago when my bag was stolen?" Belle couldn't help her stuttering.

"Yeah?" It was normally a two syllable word, but Ruby somehow stretched it to seven. Belle took another breath.

"My birth control was in that but so where my Dracula notes and I...I meant to go get more b...but I forgot because I...I needed to g...get my notes done again Oh God me and Cam we didn't...we didn't use..." Belle spoke in one breath and then finally her body forced her to breathe, she slowed down, Ruby took a moment trying to take in all that her friend was saying. "Ruby, oh God, Ruby what am I going to do? Ruby..."

"Belle, calm down!" Ruby put a quick end to her best friends blathering and squeezed her shoulders a little tighter. "Do you think you're pregnant?"

It was clear that Belle saying it was the only way they would get anywhere. Ruby was determined to be there for Belle no matter what happened, and the first step of that was to calm her down.

"Yes." The word came out at barely a whisper and Ruby had to strain to hear her. The taller girl took a moment to think.

"Okay, okay here is what we're going to do." Ruby lowered her head to force Belle to make eye contact. "You and Cord will stay here and I'm going to go to the store across the street."

Ruby was always good in a crisis, she was far more mature than people gave her credit for and Belle couldn't be more thankful for that.

XXXX

It didn't take long for Ruby to return with a small white paper bag. Belle had spent most of her time alone on her knees with her arms wrapped around Cord repeating the words 'how could I be so stupid' over and over again. It soon stopped when Ruby lowered the bag to her.

"I got two, you know, just to make sure." Ruby spoke so very softly like Belle was an injured animal. "Go on hun, you don't want to sit here worrying any longer than you have to."

Belle nodded and clambered up on shaky legs taking the white bag from her friend with an almost mute 'thanks'. It wasn't taking the tests that were the hard part, no, it was the waiting that killed her. Ruby was sat on the couch tickling Cord, while Belle paced back and forth chewing on her thumbnails frantically. She felt like hours had passed and Ruby was sure that if she paced anymore she would wear a hole in the floor.

She nearly screamed when Ruby announced it was time. The girl with azure eyes took a deep breath and steadied her hands so she could pick up the first test, she looked over to Ruby who was wearing such a supportive smile. With one final deep breath Belle picked up the test and looked down.

"So?" Ruby sounded suddenly exited.

Belle gasped. "Two lines." Tears threatened to start again.

Ruby rose to her feet and crossed the room to grab the second 'back up' test.

"Maybe it's a false positive, we just need to take a look at..." She stopped dead her words falling to an early grave and her black lined eyes widened.

"Two lines?" Asked a petrified Belle.

"Yeah."

Belle's face dropped and tears began to reappear and soaked Ruby's shoulder as somehow her red obsessed roommate had pulled her into a hug within two seconds. No matter how comforting Ruby tried to be, Belle was in a mix of shock and panic.

"Ruby what do I do? How could I be so stupid? Oh God, what am I going to do?"

Ruby had endured as much as she could take of Belle's panic and terror as she could and finally gave in to her urge to shake Belle until she shut up.

"Belle! Get a grip." Ruby took a breath and released her grip on Belle's shoulders. "You are not alone in this, okay? You have Professor Gold, it's his baby too, right?"

"Yes Ruby, of course it's his." Belle suddenly snapped then looked rather apologetic.

"Just go talk to him, alright? You. Are. Not. Alone." She spoke the last part slowly to really drive the thought into Belle's mind. "And you will always have me, Victor and Jefferson. So no more mad panicking."

Belle was determined to be brave.

"Okay."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some people have said that Belle wouldn't be able to get pregnant after being off her pills for just over a week and yes it is unlikely but not impossible. 
> 
> "After the cycle, attempts can be made to start getting pregnant although it may be advisable to wait for the first normal menstrual period after you stop taking your pills, yet this precaution is not essential. Some women conceive within a week or two after stopping birth control pills." (Taken From WebMD)


	12. There's No Doubt And There's No Maybe, The Three Of Us Are Having A Baby

It was nine-thirty in the morning when Ruby stepped into the lecturer hall followed by about twenty-five other people. It was one of those few and far between days that she wore little to no red, to be honest the students following her in were a little confused yet seeing her matte burgundy lips they seemed to find reassurance. She was sporting a long sleeved white blouse that was somewhat tight with a silver studded collar and a pleated barely there leather skirt. Add in her black corset heels and it was safe to say that Ruby couldn't walk down a hallway without ten guys checking her out. That day though she wasn't interested in men, no, she was more concerned with Belle and her baby, what Gold would say when he found out and how Belle was going toy finish college. When everyone was seated Ruby noticed the look on Gold's face, he longed to ask where Belle was but knew that that would make the class suspicious, normally he didn't care. If someone missed class they had to catch up on their own. He wasn't going to help them.

His lesson on Dracula's Mina Harker went on and all he wanted to do was dismiss his class and demand that Miss Lucas tell him where his Belle was, alas he could not. Dean Mills had kept her beady little eyes firmly on Professor Gold, via Professor's Binx and Dalziel of course. He was desperate to know why the woman he loved had suddenly vanished and not told him, he was worried, more so thanks to the concerned look on Ruby's face. Still he kept talking, kept acting like evil Professor Gold and not loving Cameron.

"Mina Harker, formally Murray, is probably the most complex character of the novel and vies with Dracula for the central role. Like Dracula, she becomes a unifying force in the story, binding the main characters; Jonathan Harker, Van Helsing, Quincey Morris, et cetera..." He gestured with his cane free hand. "...together for a common purpose. But she's a lot more complicated than Dracula. We're given a glimpse of her past..."

Cam tried to sound like his normal self, but Ruby could see his worry. The hour and a half passed and finally just when he was losing hope, Gold could finally yell out.

"Class dismissed!"

Ruby was one of the first to pack up and be up the steps, Cameron wanted to call after her and ask her to stay, but just as he looked up and opened his mouth he saw Belle hugging Ruby. 'At least she's alive' he told himself, but it didn't bring any comfort, his Belle looked utterly terrified. She waited at the top of the stairs by the large double doors until everyone apart from Ruby had left. He didn't know why but Ruby wore a supportive smile and leaned against the wall her arms full of books.

Cam couldn't help but hold his breath as he watched a panicked Belle make her way over to him, his mind started screaming stupid things at him like ' _she's come to her senses_ ' and ' _you're not good enough for her_ '. His mind finally silenced when they came face-to-face with one another, Belle couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Why were you not in class?" He asked softly, desperately wanting to hold her but Cam couldn't be sure of how she would react.

"I..." She began. "I couldn't." Belle took a deep breath so as to stifle her tears. "I couldn't sit there and look at you, not...not knowing..." She trailed off and Cam's heart dropped like a stone to a riverbed.

"Darling, you're scaring me. Have I done something to upset you?"

He felt like he was losing her, he knew he was not good enough for her, he knew that, yet he had let his imagination run wild with a dream for them to be a family. 'She's come to her senses' the voice in his mind said again. Cameron would do anything for her not to leave him, he could change, he could bring her flowers more often and take her to dinner more often, shower her with gifts, help her with her degree at home, _anything_. All he wanted was to keep her in his life, Bae's life.

"What?! No." Her voice was timid and pulled his mind back to what was happening. "I...I..." Belle had no idea how to get the words out, it was like the words were a blockage in her throat, she had asked Ruby to stay for moral support, but it did her little good;she was still freaking out.

Belle hadn't slept all night, she couldn't, instead she had been trying to decided on how to tell him, going so far and to have pretend conversations with him. In some they were happy and exited while in others he was angry and yelled at her. Cameron was forty-four and already had a young son, would he want another child? Especially with the soon to be twenty year old girl he taught. They had always told each other that they loved one another, had planned their lives, but he could have just been humouring her. Belle didn't know what to think; her mind was everywhere. Still Belle had to tell him.

"Belle, please Sweetheart. Tell me what's happened." She suddenly found the courage to make eyes contact and could see the concern growing in his golden chocolate orbs that gave her the strength to finally tell him.

"I...I'm, You're going..." She took a final breath and told herself something she hadn't since the night they became a family 'do the brave thing and bravery will follow'. "Cam, I...I'm...pregnant."

Cameron's eyes widened and for a moment he was sure his heart stopped beating. Belle was pregnant, his Belle, his _baby_. Something deep down suddenly reminded him he needed to breathe and so he took a deep breath, filling his lungs and trying to remain calm.

"Cam?"

It was only then at her oh so little voice that he realized he had gone very quiet. She probably thought he was not happy. He was about to speak, but she got there first with panicked rambling.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have been so stupid, I know, I'm sorry. Please don't be angry, I'm sorry. Really, truly I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose, I..." Belle stopped dead when she felt his hands on her shoulders, grounding her.

"I'm not angry, you're...you're pregnant." He didn't know what to say.

"You're not going to tell me to get rid of it?"

That hurt Cameron right down to his core, but he could understand why she had asked. He looked at her worrying her bottom lip. He was a coward at heart, always had been but for Belle he was determined to be brave and so he became the rational one.

"Tell you what." He pulled his house keys from his back pocket. "Here. Go to my home and get some sleep. Bae is with Ashley. When I get home we can sit down and talk about this alright?" Belle nodded slightly and took the offered keys. "Belle don't worry. I'm _not_ angry."

Cam pressed a kiss to her soft peach lips filling it with all the love he felt for her in a desperate attempt to prove he loved her. Belle was thankful for that and a lot of her fear drained away, she didn't know what she wanted to do, but knowing that they could at least talk about it made her feel a million times better. She made to turn away back to Ruby but Cameron stopped her and pulled the scared teenager into a hug.

"I love you. Never forget that Belle. I love you."

Belle felt like she could cry.

XXXX

Belle's fears had calmed somewhat by the time she reached Gold's home, Ruby had gone off to her ACC accounting class that she had to do if she wanted to take over her Granny's diner. She had apologized to her Library science Professor, a Missus Dawn Lynd. The woman was nice enough and had excused her without question, she knew Belle wouldn't miss class without a seriously good reason and Belle thought being pregnant with her Professor's baby was a pretty good reason. Belle had gone back to her and Ruby's apartment before going to Cameron's, she felt the need to be with Cordelia and just had to go get her.

The house was quiet as she entered, she had thought maybe Ashley and Bae would be there but it was more likely he was at the park playing on the swings; they were his favourite. It was strange the place being so very quiet, but at the same time it was peaceful and calm. Cord was quickly released from her leash. Belle's white and black heeled Oxfords clacked against the hardwood as Belle and Cordelia made their way over to the dark brown couch, dumping her leather shoulder bag, it was sky blue and filled to the brim with books and notes from various classes. Her feet hurt from walking all the way from college to her apartment and then to Cam's house, so Belle quickly unlaced her heels looking at the beautiful full brogue as she slipped them off.

"Oh that's better." Cord barked in response making Belle smile.

She padded through to the kitchen while Cord sniffed at Kubla's bed and quickly made herself a cup of tea, it was cold outside and she needed the warmth. For a while Belle did her work for Professor Lynd, partially because she needed to get the work done, but mainly because she needed something to take her mind of her brain screaming ' _you're pregnant with your teacher's baby!_ ' For a few hours it worked and she got a huge chunk done, Cordelia decided she rather liked Kubla's bed and settled down on it snoring softly. Her wrist ached from the hours of writing, but Belle pushed on only stopping to take another sip of her third cup of tea...which was empty. Belle sighed looking into the white china cup with delicate blue decoration and as quietly as possible she stood trying not to wake her beloved pet. Belle slowly made her way from the living room through into the hall where she found Ashley shutting the front door while Kubla watched as Bae took his coat off. The moment he saw Belle he smiled uncontrollably.

"Mama!" Bae dropped his coat and ran to her, arms stretched out begging to be picked up.

"My little boy." She did as he requested and pulled him into a loving embrace, it was a little difficult at first with the china cup still in her hand but she got that hang of it rather quickly, supporting him with one hip. Belle looked over to the blonde "How are you, Ashley?"

She picked up Bae's coat and hung it up for him. "I'm good, thanks Belle." After Belle had gotten over her initial jealousy of Ashley, the two had become good friends, laughing and joking with one another. "We had a fun day at the park, even fed some ducks."

"That must have been fun." Belle directed her simply black lined eyes over to the boy she had come to love.

"They quacked." Bae informed excitedly. It amazed Belle that he was nearly three.

"He wanted to come home early so he could watch this new cartoon that he's fallen in love with."

Belle turned to the clock mounted above the archway to the kitchen. Three o'clock. She was rather surprised at how long she had been able to work, it explained why her wrist hurt so much. The two-year old wriggled in her arms.

"Mama, can I watch?" Belle set the boy down.

"Of course you can, Angel."

Bae smiled as she set him down and then toddled off into the living room dragging Humphrey behind him.

"Go on Kubla, there is someone you will want to meet." He obeyed and Belle turned her attention back to Ashley. "You know, I'm going to be here for the rest of the day, I can take care of Bae. If you want you can go home early."

Ashley though for a moment and then remembered what Mister Gold had told her. 'You leave Baedan with no one other than me...and Belle', Ashley knew how much trust Mister Gold had in Belle and to be honest she really wanted a few hours to herself at home before her step-mother and sisters got home, she _really_ needed her own place.

"Really?" Ashley's eyes lit up when Belle nodded. "Thank you, thanks."

The two girls shared a quick good-bye and then Belle went back to making her much needed tea. The warmth soothed her throat that was still sore from having thrown up, the tea was welcomed and much needed. Upon returning to the living room her tea and a last minuet glass of apple juice for Bae in hand, she found the child sat crossed legged watching some evil magician looking character watching a pretty girl from a window.

"Here you go, Angel." Bae took the glass and quickly gulped down the liquid, quenching his thirst. Kubla and Cordelia had already become friends it seemed as both were curled up on his dog bed. 'Good' she thought.

For a few moments Belle just sat and watched Baedan, he was a beautiful boy and she couldn't help but wonder what her own baby would look like. If they even kept the baby. Belle decided to push those thoughts out of her mind, there would be time for that later. Instead, she settled on the couch laying down and getting comfortable before calling over to Bae.

"Bae, come and sit with me. You will hurt your eyes being that close."

The toddler stood and raced over to his Mama settling on the couch pressing into her side. She could feel his warmth drifting through the fabric of her bright orange chiffon top, the lack of sleeves allowing her to feel the softness of his tiny, dainty hands as they clung to her. He smelt faintly of grass, probably from the park, as well as a scent that could only be described as Bae Gold. It was heavenly. His breathing came in short content breaths that barely made a sound, only Belle, who was searching for it, could hear the innocent intake. She held him close as he watched his cartoon and eventually her eyes started to feel heavy and slowly, when she couldn't keep them open any longer, Belle gave in and drifted off to sleep.

XXXX

"Belle?" Something shook her. "Belle, dearie?"

Her eyes fluttered open and she found Cam stood over her with a smile, Belle still had her arms snaked around Bae, who was awake and looking at her with a smile.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Hello Sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"Alright, just a little tired."

She shuffled to perch on the couch with little Bae on her knee so as Cameron could sit beside her, which he did. Here it was, the talk she had been waiting for all day, panic began to worm its way through her muscles and down into her fingers. She took a deep breath that seemed to stutter in her lungs before she let it go, reluctantly the fear evaporated from her slender frame. Thankfully Belle's breathing returned to something that resembled normal and Belle finally felt like she could face the issue. She turned to Cam who was looking at her with a soft calming smile.

"Bae, darling. Go and color or watch cartoons for me, would you?"

Baedan hopped off her knee with a 'yes Mama' and began to make his way over to the draw that contained all his toys and coloring books, but stopped halfway and went back to Belle. He held up Humphrey with a smile.

"You sad. Humrey..." He still couldn't say Humphrey properly. "...make better."

Belle took the tan bear with a smile. "Thank you Bae, that's very thoughtful." With that the two-year old ran over to get his crayons. Belle turned back to Cam.

"I suppose." He cautiously began. "The easiest place to start is...is what do you want to do? It's your body Belle."

Belle didn't make eye contact, she was still gathering her bravery for that.

"But it's your baby."

"What I want is nothing compared to what you want, alright? I will support you no matter what you decide."

She cuddled Humphrey close to her chest, Bae was right, he did make her feel better. With that Belle looked up to Cam who still had that same calm smile coating his features.

"I...I don't like the idea of abortion. It wasn't the baby's fault. It was mine."

"No Belle, if it was anyone's fault it was mine. I am older and meant to be wiser but...God I just wanted you so much I didn't think."

That slight hint of desperation that filtered into his voice made her smile.

"Still it's not the baby's fault."

"Well." Cam spoke so very softly. "There's adoption if you would prefer?"

Belle thought for a moment, so many notions and apprehensions spinning around in her head that it was hard for Belle to make sense of them all.

"No, no I don't like the idea of giving our baby to some stranger."

"Then, Belle that leaves, it leaves only one option."

"But would I even be a good Mom? Mine died when I was three I don't know how to be a Mom."

Belle didn't know what she was expecting, but Cameron laughing was definitely not it.

"Belle, Sweetheart. Don't you see that its innate? You may not know how to be a Mother but your body does, your heart does. I mean look at Bae, he loves you and you feel exactly the same about him. _You_ are his Mother."

She knew what he was saying, but he was leaving everything up to her, he saw it as her body, her choice. The life of their child was firmly in her hands and then she realized something. Their child. Panic, fear, everything drained away until there were just those two words going around and round. ' _Their child, their child, their child_ '. In a shaky breath she said.

"Then we're having a baby."

Before anyone could say anything more Cam had her in a tight embrace, pulling her into his lap and just holding her, cane forgotten on the floor.

"Oh thank God." He breathed. "Thank God."

"You're happy?"

"Of course I'm happy. You just gave me everything I wanted." He spoke into her neck.

"If you wanted to keep the baby why didn't you just say so?"

' _Because I'm a coward_ '. "Because I wasn't going to let you think I was forcing you into anything."

"Mama? Papa?"

The two jumped back from each other at the sound of the toddler. Belle was still sat in Cameron's lap but she managed to turn and look at the boy.

"Yes Bae." His father said.

"What talking about?"

Belle thought it was beyond cute how he left certain words out of sentences, it reminded her of Ruby when she had just woken up. Belle shuffled a little and picked the boy up cuddling him close to her and Cam.

"Well Bae." Cam began while looking at his son with love. "How would you like a brother or sister?"

"Brother." The toddler announced quickly and they all just laughed.

"I think we have his vote. But there is one thing."

"And that would be?"

"I'm going to be almost five months pregnant by the time I finish your college course, what are people going to think?"

"Does it really matter? No one knows the baby is mine. Anyway we will have time for this later, lets just forget about it all for a while. We could think of names."

With that Belle burst out laughing and she knew everything would be alright. Cameron was getting a second child, he had always wanted at least two. Belle had calmed down and had decided to focus on the words ' _their c_ _hild_ '. No matter what happened they had each other.

 


	13. Spit It Out

Belle awoke the next morning to streams of golden sunlight marching past the thick curtains like little soldiers and found that Cam was not looking back at her, for a moment she was worried,but then Belle looked down. There with the covers surrounding him was Cameron, his head rested on her thigh and his hand on her stomach talking to the baby. He hadn't noticed Belle was awake and so she couldn't help but listen to what he was telling their baby.

"...So fragments come loose and go everywhere, sending Luke to the floor. When he sits up there's this little, barely bigger than you are now, blue hologram of Leia Organa being projected from R2D2'S face. She says in her message 'help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope' and then it ends. Luke looks in awe and says 'what's this' and R2D2 beeps an answer that C3PO has to translate. 'What is what?! He asked you a question' the gold droid responds while pointing at the hologram, Leia just repeats her message over and over again. C3PO tries to play the message down 'he says it's nothing, sir. Just a malfunction, old data, pay it no mind'..."

By this point Belle was grinning from ear to ear, but it was far too cute for her to put an end to, and so she let him continue as he rubbed her belly softly.

"...'who is she? She's beautiful' asks Luke. 'I think she was a passenger on our last voyage. A person of some importance, sir.' Then Luke cuts C3PO off asking if there is more recording, he reaches for R2 but the little droid lets out a sequel and backs away. C3PO explains that they belong to Luke now but R2 refuses and says he belongs to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke stands up and says..."

Cam trailed off realizing that Belle was watching him and he couldn't hold back a smile that matched her own.

"Are you telling out baby Star Wars?" She asked in mock displeasure.

"Yes, but don't worry I won't give away the ending." He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her still flat stomach, then sliding back up the bed to lock his lips with Belle's own. "Everyone should know Star Wars."

"I agree, but what surprises me is that you can recite it. Bit of a fan, are we?" She asked teasingly.

"A little. I hadn't gotten to Han Solo yet though, I do that bit rather well."

"Does that mean you're my scoundrel?"

"Very nice, Sweetheart. Star Wars fan yourself?" Cam pulled her close and kissed her neck softly.

"Yes. And no, I won't wear the gold bikini for you." With that Cam burst out laughing.

"No even for my birthday?"

"If you're a good boy I'll thing about it." She joked.

Her hands found their way into his thick and lustrous hair, it was her favourite part of him. The way it covered his ears and matched his eyes with a gentle dusting of grey. He was definitely her scoundrel. His face was strong and well defined like it had been carved from the strongest granite by angels, or more likely in his case demons, just for her. His golden chocolate eyes sparkled in the early morning sun as he gazed at her with love, the same eyes that terrified all her fellow students when he looked at them, but when he looked at her there was only ever love. Cameron's lips were soft and perfectly kissable like they always were and Belle couldn't help but close the gap and devour them. Cameron Gold was not a large muscular man like was normally deemed handsome, instead he was slender and lean, but let no one be fooled, he was strong, powerful and Belle found it just a little bit...completely sexy.

Eventually the kissing came to an end and they pulled back for some much needed air. Belle wanted nothing more than to stay there forever in his arms but then she remember.

"I need to tell my Papa that I'm pregnant. Do it today and let him get used to it."

"Well, way to kill the mood, dearie. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I should do this on my own. And, besides this is Sunday, your day with Bae."

"What will you tell him?"

It was a good question, what would she tell him? Belle had no idea. She was going to have to do some thinking about that, she knew one thing for sure though.

"Not about you being my Professor?"

"Wise." He teased.

"Or Bae. Not until I know how he'll react to one child."

"Sure you want to do this on your own? Since you can't take me, Ruby, Victor or Jefferson perhaps."

"Ruby and Jefferson have gone back to Storybrooke for the weekend. Ruby is going to see her Granny, and Jefferson is looking at houses for him and Victor now that he's been accepted as an intern at the hospital."

"And good old Doctor Whale?"

Belle knew that Cam and Victor could get on really well if they just sat down and talked. They had the same dry humour.

"He's at the hospital." 'Like always' she added in her mind. "I'll be okay on my own Cam. I have to do this, can't just hide."

XXXX

It was about noon when she made it to her father's apartment and her stomach felt queasy, more so than normal. Knowing that she and Cam were prepared to raise their baby together and with love made her feel so much better about telling her Papa. If she had been alone with the baby she probably would've had a heart attack before she could tell him.

His apartment was 656 on the top floor or as her Papa had told her when she was little 'the penthouse', Belle smiled at the memory and knocked on the door softly. She could hear movement coming from the other side as her Papa made his way through the apartment to the door. It opened with a creek, always had and probably always would.

"Izzy!" Her father exclaimed. He was the only one that called her Izzy, it was something special for just him and her, even her Mother had called her Belle.

"Hello Papa." She smiled and accepted the bear hug that Moe French pulled her into.

"I haven't seen you in weeks." She didn't realize it had been quite that long and so she offered him an apologetic smile when he released her from the hug, he smelt faintly of Roses and Chrysanthemums.

"Come on in, Izzy. It's cold out here on the doorstep."

The door opened to face the small kitchen and even tinier dining table, to her left was a living area she knew all too well, thanks to Cam she had once had her face pressed into it while she moaned, but she wasn't about to tell her father that. Instead, she just sat down on it quietly while her father wandered off to make tea. Behind the couch was the bathroom and her room behind that, she knew it would be exactly the way she had left it, despite his plans to turn it into a poker room. The walls would still be that pale yellow, her matching vanity mirror would still be there. Everything, just in case she came back

Finally he came back and handed her a mug of tea, no matter how expensive Cameron's tea was and the hand painted china cups it came in, her Papa's cheep mug tea was still her favourite; it made her feel safe and loved. Before Moe sat down he studied her expression and raised an eyebrow.

"What happened Izzy?" He asked softly before taking a sip of his tea.

"What? How do you know something is wrong?"

"I didn't say 'wrong' and I raised you, I know the face that says 'Papa I need to tell you something'. So, spit it out."

Her father may have been hopeless with money, but he was a very good people person, especially when it came to his beloved daughter.

"Well, I have been trying to work out how to tell you in my head, but I can't seem to get it right. It always comes out wrong." Belle set her mug down on the basic light wood coffee table. "I think I just have to come out and say it." 'It worked with Cam' she told herself quietly.

"It's alright, Izzy. You just say what you need to say."

"Alright. Papa, I'm pregnant."

Whatever he had been expecting it wasn't that and he almost choked on his tea.

"You're what?" He spoke more out of shock than anger.

"I'm having a baby."

"What!?" He asked again a little louder. "Isabelle Penelope Maria French. What the hell were you thinking?! You're nineteen years old!"

Belle could understand his anger, but she was going to be strong. "Papa, no one decides my fate but me. There is nothing you can do about this, its decided. I am having this baby."

Belle knew her father would understand that, he had always trusted her to think things through. She was well aware the only reason he had shouted was shock, if he had really been angry he would have had her halfway to an abortion clinic by now.

"I didn't even know you were dating." Moe calmed down and took a breath, Belle was thankful for that. "Is it Gaston's?"

"No, Papa. We broke up ages ago and I never intend to get back together with him."

Belle now hated Gaston Rose, he had been nice and sweet at first, but when they had finally had sex it hurt and he didn't seem to care, it wasn't rape nothing like that, Gaston wasn't cruel he just wasn't very good and didn't seem to care. He thought women only existed to make babies and dinner. Hence, her hatred for the man that and she knew Cam would never let her go. Didn't want him to.

"Well who's is it?"

Belle's thoughts changed from Gaston to Cameron and she couldn't help but smile.

"His name is Cameron, and he is very kind, loving and sweet."

"Does he know? What did he say?"

"Yes, he knows." She placed a hand on her still flat stomach. "When I told him, he sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do, said it was my body so my choice. Said he would be there no matter what."

"And when you said you wanted to keep it?"

"He grabbed hold of me and said 'Oh thank God' repeatedly, he was happy I wanted to keep the baby because its what he wanted too." She could sense her Papa's next question. "He has a good job and is actually rather wealthy. He's a good man and he loves me Papa."

"And I haven't met him because?" Belle couldn't explain that but she was happy he had calmed down, he trusted his daughter to do the right thing.

"We em..." She hadn't thought about that. "...he's been busy and he...he had to go to Chicago for a while." She wasn't completely lying.

"Alright, but when he comes back I can meet him?"

"Promise. And you're not upset with the whole teen pregnancy thing? Why did you calm down so quickly?"

"I don't like it and I was angry at first, but you seem happy. You have always been mature beyond your years, yes I would have liked you to have been older and married, but we all have to work with the cards we have. That and I've always wanted to be a Grandpa, I thought it would take longer, but still. I lost your Mother, I won't start some huge fight and loose you too. This has happened and now we have to deal with the fallout. If you and this 'Cameron' think you can do it and he has a good job like you say, then I trust you to do the right thing, you're a grown woman."

Belle practically flung herself at her Papa and hugged him frantically, his words were beyond everything she had hoped for. He was accepting all that had happened, he wasn't happy about it, but he trusted her to make her own decisions. Belle knew her father had always trusted her, but this was a baby not some last minuet spring break, the baby would change her life forever. He would support his darling daughter through anything.

"You'll never lose me Papa. I love you. And, thank you for this, from the bottom of my heart thank you Papa. I know this isn't what you wanted for me, but I and Cam are going to take care of this baby."

"I love you too, Izzy. And I will meet this Cameron of yours." His voice turned stern.

"Yes, you will." When she had no idea, but he would.

XXXX

Telling Victor, Jefferson and Ruby they were keeping their baby was far easier. Ruby had screamed and almost squeezed the life out of her when Belle was pulled into the biggest hug she had ever had. Jefferson said he was going to design a whole wardrobe for the baby, but she didn't think that would never come to fruition, not with how busy he was. Victor had printed off almost a novel's worth of information on babies and pregnancy vitamins for her, it was sweet and it was only then that she realized they were not her best friends, they were her family.

As a few days past the realization that they were having a baby sunk in and Belle developed a glow about her. Her belly swelled a little giving way to the first real evidence that she was pregnant. She didn't worry though, a baggy t-shirt covered it easily. Belle was happy, happier than she had been in a very long time. She felt like she was in a novel. Everything was coming up Belle, she just hoped that everything could stay that way, even with that Belle couldn't help but feel like a storm was coming. Maybe not that day or the next, maybe not for months...but it was coming.

 


	14. Kicking

Cameron and Belle had fallen into a routine after a few weeks of working out the kinks of 'we're having a baby'. When they were in class she was sweet Miss French and he was the evil, cane happy Professor who didn't give a damn about the obviously pregnant teen sat in the front row. Belle's morning sickness was killing her and thankfully most people didn't notice she was pregnant since she was just thirteen weeks but the ones that saw her on a day to day basis, now they did notice, then the silly little rumours started, half of which made no sense. Once was that the baby was Victor's, which obviously, was total crap. Another was that she was a surrogate for him and Jefferson, slightly less ridiculous, but still very far from the truth. Even with all the quiet comments as she passed in the corridor no one was brave enough to just come out and ask her, no instead she had to listen to the whispers and see the strange looks. Belle forced herself to cope though, only a few more months, then she and Cam would be free to raise their baby and Bae without college and annoying teenagers getting in the way. They wouldn't have to hide.

With everything that had happened Belle had somehow mislaid her copy of Dracula, yes she could just get another from the library, but that wouldn't have her notes in it. She needed it, and rather a lot of hormones had led to her going on about the book. Belle didn't mean too, she just couldn't help it. Ruby had looked high and low for it at the apartment and Victor had spent hours going though the library for it. Alas it was nowhere to be found.

It was five to five when a knock came at the door to her and Ruby's apartment. Belle had been getting herself a glass of water while Ruby sat on the couch, hunched over the coffee table working on her Dracula essay. Since she was already standing Belle called out to Ruby a pleasant 'I'll get it' and opened the door.

"Good evening, dearie." Cam greeted.

"Cameron, what are you doing here?" Belle couldn't help the smile that pulled itself onto her face.

"Well, you have been complaining about it for days and so I thought you may want this back."

He held out a much loved copy of Dracula. Its edges were crinkled and Belle recognized it as hers within seconds, taking the book from him and pulling Cam into a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." She chanted. "Where did you find it?"

"It was in Bae's room, no idea why."

Suddenly Belle remembered reading it on that night the toddler had insisted she stay with him, she must have forgotten to pick it up again. Belle felt so silly, making a fuss over nothing.

"You have just saved my essay."

"I try."

Belle turned letting him into the apartment but Cam froze when he saw Ruby Lucas sat cross legged with a whole forest of paper around her on the couch. Belle didn't seem to notice the sudden change in atmosphere and if she did she said nothing about it.

"Em, Hi." The girl with red streaks in her hair said cautiously.

"Hello." ' _God this is uncomfortable_ ' he added in his head.

Belle vanished off to her bedroom where she placed the book back in its rightful place and returned to the man she loved. He wore a dark suit, like always, with a dark green tie. Belle wanted nothing more than to slam her lips to his and knock any and all air from his lungs, to press her tongue to the pink seam of his perfect lips and demand entrance into his warm wet mouth. To feel his body pressed against hers as his hands slid down her body. However, Ruby was there so she kindly restrained herself.

"Bae misses you." Cam announced upon her return to the room, probably due to the awkward silence he and Ruby had been in.

"I saw him yesterday."

"Yes, but Bae is two, a day is like three to him." Even Ruby chuckled at that.

Belle wasted no time in pulling Cameron into a hug, they hadn't seen much of each other that day and she felt the need to latch onto him and never let go. Cam's hand, the one with his opal ring, slipped down to her slowly growing belly and a fatherly smile took over. His child was in there, slowly growing and one day soon they would meet and to be honest, Cam would probably cry. He hadn't been told Bae had been born until three days after, but with Belle and the new baby he was determined to do things properly.

"I should get back, I haven't got my next lesson done yet." Reluctantly he released her and pressed a kiss to Belle's pale forehead.

"Fine. Tell Bae I love him."

"Of course. And, whoever finally fixed your elevator, thank them for me." Belle smiled It had taken Max a while, but he had finally got it.

With another gentle kiss and a soft 'bye' Cam turned towards the door. The front door was almost halfway open when, surprisingly, Ruby called out an uncertain 'wait'. With just a little shock he turned.

"Yes, dearie?"

"Em, Professor Go-Cam-Sir."

Ruby wasn't going to lie, she had no idea what to call him. He was her Literature Professor, but they were in her apartment and he was her best friend's boyfriend. Was he Professor Gold or was he Cameron? She had no idea and she really didn't want to get yelled at for using the wrong one. He shut the door and came closer.

"How about this Miss Lucas?" He began. "In class I remain Professor Gold and here, you can call me whatever you're comfortable with?"

"Oh em..." She hadn't been expecting that. "...Okay, em. Well, Belle calls you Cameron so...so lets give that a go."

"Alright." Cam stood by the arm of the couch with his cane planted between his feet and a calm smile that she had never seen before decorating his face. "What is it I can do for you Miss Lucas?"

"Ruby, we're at the apartment." She was trying so hard for Belle, that and Ruby was rather surprised to see this kind side of him. "You asked us to write an essay on why Quincey Morris dies, but...well I have no idea. He's not really a threat anymore than Harker and Van Helsing were. So..."

Gold chuckled. "You are over thinking it Miss Lu-Ruby. You have a habit of doing that, it's why you always get a C rather than B's. You blather too."

"I do?"

Cam just nodded, then sighed and looked down at his watch, Ashley was with Bae until eight, he had time. Belle could see what he was thinking and so wandered off to the kitchen to make him some tea. Much to Ruby's surprise Cameron sat down beside her and reached for her half done essay.

"Let me read what you've already done, and pass me that pen."

In pure shock that he was actually helping her Ruby passed the black ball-point pen. Within a minuet he was crossing out bits and changing others. Time passed and Cam sipped his tea as he flipped through double-checking his crossing out while Ruby just watched in amazement. Belle had already finished hers, but after walking Cordelia she still settled down at the breakfast bar and went through it looking for more to add now she had her copy of Dracula back.

"You don't need any of this, Ruby." He turned the notepad towards her. "These points aren't relevant, we don't need to know that he proposed to Lucy."

"But I don't know why Quincey needed to die. He was so mysterious and handsome. Oh and American which makes him unique."

Cameron chuckled deep in his throat and Ruby shot him a what-the-hell-is-so-funny look.

"Exactly Ruby. You're over thinking again. Like you said he's mysterious and American, the only American. We know the least about Quincey and his family. He doesn't even have a journal entry." He watched for a moment as the point that Belle had figured out days ago hit her square in the face

"So you're saying that it's because he is mysterious that he dies? He can die because there's no one there to miss him?"

"Now you have it. Who he is in the novel is not a reason for him to live..." Ruby cut him off.

"It's a reason for him to die?"

"Yes."

Time went on and Cameron helped Ruby, giving her pointers and tricks on how not to start blathering. Just simple things, she still had to do the work herself, Ruby took pride in her work and wouldn't even let Belle help her. All too soon though Cam looked at his watch.

"Shit!" Ruby had never heard him swear before, it was rather cool in a teacher sort of way. "Do you think you can manage the rest on your own, Ruby? Its nearly eight and I need to get back to Bae."

"Oh em yeah, sure."

Cam nodded in acknowledgement and stood to make his way over to Belle who was on her third cupcake; she thought no one had noticed.

"Enjoying that?" He asked in a teasing voice, startling Belle who almost dropped the chocolate frosted treat.

"I was." Belle said in mock annoyance. "Do you think I am eating too much, I feel huge."

Cam took her into his arms with a smile and pressed a gentle kiss to her peach glossed lips.

"Sweetheart, you're beautiful and it's perfectly normal for you to have cravings."

"Yeah I know, but still Ruby only got these cupcakes today."

"Oh help yourself babe, I need to work off the one I had." Came Ruby's kind voice from the living area.

The lovers chortled for a moment before Cameron rested his hand on her belly.

"I love you." He whispered to his child.

"And the baby loves you. Mama does too."

After a moment of kissing Cam looked down at his watch, swore and left with the vow he would see her the next day. Ruby had thought that Belle and her Literature Professor was just a crush that he had taken advantage off at first, but now she saw that it was way more than that. Not Belle and her Literature Professor, it was Belle and Cameron. She could see there were two sides to him: the teacher that scared everyone in his class, and the man who loved Belle with every fibre of his being, who hadn't run away when Belle got pregnant, who had sat and helped her with an essay she didn't understand. In that moment Ruby mentally moved him from the 'tolerated because he's with Belle' list to the 'Liked because he's a good guy at heart' list.

XXXX

A few days past and the best friends found themselves in their Literature class like every Tuesday, Ruby chewing her strawberry gum as she wrote and Belle with her hand resting over her growing baby bump. Cam was down by his desk giving the Dracula essays a last once over before he gave them back.

Gold had a system of passing back essays, he would wander up the stairs and set them on desks to be handed down along the rows, every now and then making a comment about the best and worst. He only did it because it put the whole class on edge. He looked up every now and then to check on Belle who had been feeling a little 'odd' lately as she put it, each time he did Belle had to hide a smile.

"Oh." Belle suddenly said quietly and a little confused.

"What?" Ruby was worried for her friend and the baby, until Belle smiled.

"I just felt the baby kick."

"Oh my God, you did?" She said in a hushed tone.

Belle nodded and took Ruby's hand placing it over the spot where the soft thumps were coming from.

"Oh that is so cool."

"That's the first time I've felt that."

"Well what are you thirteen weeks?" Belle nodded. "The stuff Victor printed out said it would be around now."

"You read that?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded turning in her seat a little so she could feel Belle's baby bump better. "If I'm going to be the perfect Aunt Ruby, I need to know these things."

Belle liked the sound of Aunt Ruby, she was just about to say so when she heard Cam speak from halfway up the steps, a pile of papers in one hand and his cane in the other. Belle couldn't help but notice he was wearing the purple button down shirt she had bought him after she ripped the buttons of his last one in a fit of passion. Belle smiled at the memory, it was a good night, unless you were a shirt.

"Harrison Roberts?" A cautious hand went up at the end of a row behind Belle and Gold set his essay down in front of Mary Margaret with a look that said pass-it-on-dearie. "Your conclusion doesn't conclude." It went like that for a few moments, him in his Professor Gold persona handing out essays, until he suddenly spoke again. "Francesca De Marko?" Another had shot up. "Well done, dearie. You made some good points." Francesca looked like she was about to faint. More papers were handed out and then he got to Mary Margaret and set hers down with disappointment in his eyes. "Miss Blanchard, do learn to spell. Quincey has an 'E' in it and ambivalent is V-A-L not V-E-L. Also Van Helsing is two words."

Mary Margaret just ducked her head, she got so lost in the writing sometimes she forgot to check her spelling. It made becoming a teacher even harder. He finished handing out the essays, but not Ruby and Belle's those he kept on his desk. Why? They had no idea, but Ruby was terrified she had failed, yet that wouldn't explain why he had Belle's too.

"On Thursday we will be starting Frankenstein so I want you to all go and read it, I want you to know at least the first three chapters by heart. Class dismissed."

Everybody jumped up, the ones that had done badly off to lick their wounds. Belle had to move a little slower as the baby was still kicking, but she soon got to her feet. Then, he called out again.

"Miss Lucas, Miss French. A word."

Together they made their way over to his desk and then waited for everyone to be gone so as they could drop the charade.

"Cam!" She practically screamed the moment the door shut. "The baby kicked, come here."

Cameron's eyes widened as his hand was pulled to rest on her belly, the kicking was soft and painless, but Belle was beginning to think their child would be a kick-boxer. He didn't speak he just stood there with a grin plastered on his face until the thumps slowed and stopped. That was his baby.

"What was it you wanted Cameron?" Belle eventually asked bringing him back to the real world and away from his awe.

"Oh, em. Your essay, A as usual." He handed the stapled stack of paper to Belle. "But I thought I would call both of you down here rather than just Ruby and scare her half to death."

"Too late." Announced the girl with red streaks in her hair.

"Here, take a look how you did."

Ruby took her essay, her eyes widened more than anyone thought possible when she saw the grade in a little  red ring.

"B+?" She whispered. "B+?"

"You earned it. No blathering, right to the point. A little more refinement and you could be getting the same grades as Belle..."

Before he could finish his sentence Ruby had him in a hug, squeezing his neck ever so slightly and almost crying, she was so happy.

"I need a B if I want to take over Granny's." She began then started chanting 'thank you' about a million times before she realized the bear hug she'd locked him in and jumped back like she'd been burnt. "Sorry."

"Its no matter, dearie. But we should cut this short, Dean Mills would love to get her teeth into this."

"Bitch."

"You said it Ruby." Belle laughed, she turned her attention to Cam. "Can I stay at your place tonight? Ruby has a date and I miss Bae."

"Of course, Sweetheart."

 


	15. Acceptance

Moe French had been pestering his daughter for weeks about meeting the father of his grandchild and she had finally relented. The two had plans to meet at his apartment where they could have a quiet lunch and Moe could get to know the mysterious Cameron. Mister French was excited to say the least, he had tidied the place to within an inch of its life and even made Chicken Rice Casserole, it had been Belle's comfort food since she could have solids, and Moe wanted everything to be perfect. He knew he had a problem with gambling and to a lesser extent drinking, but with the news he was to be a grandparent all the beer had been binned; Belle couldn't have been more proud. In fact, the only alcohol that remained was the bottle of wine for their meal. He'd always wanted a large family, but alas the world had taken his sweet Colette from him, the baby was to be his new chance.

Moe spent weeks wondering what 'Cameron' would look like. Would he look a little like Gaston, with jet black hair and strong shoulders? Or would he be like Aaron from her rebellious years, bleached hair and tattoos? From what Belle had told him he knew rather little, all Moe knew was that Cameron had a good job and told her baby Star Wars. In the end Moe decided that it was to be a surprise, ' _how bad could it be?_ _'_ He asked himself.

He'd just finished setting the table when a gentle knock that he recognized as Belle's came at the door, Moe looked up to the small clock above the couch on the other side of the room; One o'clock. The front door was thrown open revealing his darling daughter in a tight fitting short-sleeved cream dress with rose decoration, but that was not what he noticed. He didn't notice how it brought out her eyes or notice how it was a little too short for a pregnant teenager, even one who was nearly twenty. No, the only thing Moe French saw was the child curled again her left shoulder.

"Hello Papa." She greeted, nervous beyond belief at how her father would take the news.

"Izzy..." He began. "Who's this? And where is this 'Cameron' of yours?"

Cam had consented to going all the way back down to the car to retrieve Humphrey, who Bae had left in the back seat. He'd said it would be better for the old man to be sacrificed than the pregnant beauty, but Belle knew the truth; Cameron Gold was scared. Belle had nowhere to turn, her Papa had seen Bae, she had to tell him now.

"Cam went to get his bear." She gestured to Bae with her head. "This, this is Baedan. Or just Bae, he's Cameron's son."

"Son?" Moe just stood there in the doorway gawking at her and the child.

"Yes Papa, son." Belle turned her attention to Bae. "Angel, can you say 'hello' for me?"

Bae was cautious of the strange man, but his Mama seemed to trust him, so Bae did too. The toddler lifted his head from her shoulder and in his bravest voice said.

"Hello." Then turned to Belle. "How that Mama?"

"You did very well, Bae. Papa can I come in or are we going to stand here all day?"

Moe had forgotten he hadn't let her in, he was in too much shock. Cameron already had a son, was their some ex-girlfriend waiting to jump out of the woodwork? And, why the hell was the child calling his daughter Mama?

"Mama?" Moe asked stepping aside to let Belle in. She covered Bae's ears.

"His mother wasn't a good mother, she died, I love him, he's my son." She filled him in quickly but softly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"I suppose not, Izzy. At least your man will know how to care for a child."

It scared Belle that he was being so accepting, like suddenly everything would come tumbling down at her feet. Maybe he had Grandpa fever, she giggled to herself.

"Bae, why don't your take your bag and go play over there?" She pointed to the coffee table on the other side of the room and handed him the small Thomas The Tank Engine bag that was filled with his things. Bae ran off happily.

"Anymore surprises I should know about, Izzy?" He'd meant it as a joke but Belle couldn't help worrying her bottom lip. "I made Chicken Rice Casserole, your favourite." He announced as he wandered off over to the paisley kitchen. "Does Cameron prefer tea or coffee?"

"Tea, definitely tea." She spoke as a somewhat reserved knock came at the door. Cam really was nervous. "I'll get it."

The door opened and Belle pulled him inside fast enough that Cam, for a moment, thought she'd broken the sound barrier. From there he was manhandled over to the living area where he handed Bae his bear. Bae smiled with a soft 'thanks Papa' and then went back to his Buzz Lightyear toy.

"Okay, my Papa seemed to be accepting of Bae, so that's half the battle. Just you left and we're home free."

"I thought we were having lunch, not going to war."

"Not all people are as accepting as Victor, Jefferson and Ruby. My father likes your normal nineteen-fifty's style family. That's why him just going with everything he knows so far is freaking me out."

"Sweetheart, you're panicking and its not good for our baby. Take a breath." She did. "I love you. You're his daughter, I'm sure he will accept what makes you happy."

Belle had no idea how a man who was more terrified than she was, had somehow become the voice of reason and logic. Alas she was going with it and pulled him into a hug. Another deep breath was in order. Moe came back to find a man in a suit with his back to him. 'Moment of truth' Moe told himself as he made his way over to the mysterious Cameron, tea in hand. He was shorter than he had imagined and a little over dressed, he had his arms around Belle who had a little smile her face. Yet it faded and her eyes flew open when he said.

"You must be Cameron. I'm Moe French, Izzy's father."

In split second everything changed. Cam turned revealing a man who was about Moe's age, with a cane and grey blended in his hair. What the hell? The man before him was not what Moe had been expecting at all. Before he could say anything Belle began to speak.

"Papa." She sounded terrified. "This is Cameron." Belle held on to Cam's arm using his warmth as a comfort blanket. She hoped, no, she prayed her father would remain in his accepting mood but Moe's face dropped.

"Izzy?" His voice was almost a growl and gave Belle the sudden urge to hide behind Cam. However, she needed to be brave and get through the afternoon.

"I know Cam is a little older than you expe..." She was cut off by her father's growl, Bae nearly jumped out of his skin and shuffled away from the now homicidal looking man.

"'A little'! Izzy, he's old enough to be your father."

"Papa, he's three years younger than you." She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth, but by then it was too late. Her Papa had gone off the deep end and into full-blown rage.

"Isabelle, that is not a good thing! He's too old for you! I would have expected this from Ruby, not you! You told me you met him college, does he hang around waiting to see which innocent young girl he can take advantage of?!"

"That's enough!" Cameron's voice suddenly put a stop to Moe's yelling long enough to get a sentence in. "Belle is almost twenty, she can make her own choices. You cannot force her to do something that she is not happy with. And you're scaring my son."

"No, you don't get to pretend that you're innocent in this, you brainwashed my daughter, my sweet little Izzy and now she thinks she loves you."

"I do love him Papa. I know this is a lot to take in, I'm sorry. You accepted the baby and Bae, why can't you accept that I love Cam? He makes me happy."

"That's what you think now, Izzy. Give it a while and he will find someone younger, more gullible, and then you'll have nothing. You aren't even that boy's mother, but he's palmed him off on you." Belle looked like she could cry.

"I would never do that to her and Baedan loves her." Cam growled.

Bae wanted to run back to his father's car and hide until the adults were done screaming at each other. He cuddled Humphrey close to him and tried not to cry. Bae had never heard his Mama shout, and that was more petrifying than anything else; more than the strange man telling his Mama that she wasn't his Mama. Bae watched as Belle began to cry, acidic tears dripping down her cheeks and wetting the fabric of her dress.

"Isabelle Penelope Maria French, I will not let you throw your life away on a monster more than twice your age and some other woman's unwanted child!"

Bae could take no more, he charged over to the door and through sheer determination got it open, he ran down towards the stairs seeking his father's Cadillac.

"Bae!" Called Gold, who had become more concerned with protecting his son than taking his cane to Moe. "Bae!" With that Gold was gone, faster than he knew he could move, off to catch up with Bae before he fell or wandered out in front of a car.

It left Belle and her Papa alone, and much to the neighbour's relief silence fell. Belle couldn't speak, didn't know how to feel; her hormones making everything ten times worse, blurring everything into one massive swirl. How had her Papa suddenly gone from the kind man she'd always known and loved to this animal in front of her?

"Izzy." Moe began at a calmer volume. "I know you think you love him, I see that. And I see that the boy loves you, but the father, Izzy, he's too old. There is something monstrous in his eyes, something hidden away deep down inside and one day it be let out and go after whoever is closest. I will not let my daughter, my grandchild, go will that beast. I won't." He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked down at Belle with love. "Izzy, you can move back in here. I'll help you with the baby and..."

"No."

"What?"

“No." Belle looked him dead in the eyes. "What happened to 'you're mature beyond your years'? What happened to ' I won't start some huge fight and lose you too'? I love Cam and I love Bae. I won't leave him because you don't approve of him and I sure as hell won't take his baby from him." Belle had no idea where her strength was coming from, but she was grateful for it and was going to push it as far as it would go. "This is my life Papa, not yours. I'm not a little kid that needs protecting, I'm a grown woman who for the first time in a long time, is happy, truly happy. You said you didn't want to lose me, but Papa, if you can't get it through your head that this is my choice, that no one decides my fate but me then...then you have lost me."

It was the most painful thing she had ever had to say and after a second to breathe, Belle picked up Bae's bag and Buzz Lightyear toy and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her so hard it nearly came of its hinges. She left him there in silence with nothing but the smell of Chicken Rice Casserole burning in the oven. Cooling tea still in his hand.

XXXX

When she made it to the parking lot she found Cam sat in the back seat of the Cadillac holding a crying Bae; she slipped in beside him. Bae balled into his father's neck and clung onto Humphrey like a lifeline. Belle started crying again and let Cam pull her to him with his free arm.

"I'm sorry, Bae." She began. "We didn't mean to upset you."

The toddler looked up at her, his eyes red and puffy, bottom lip between his teeth and hands clutching at Cameron's shirt. Belle cuddled closer and snaked an arm around Bae.

"Love you, Mama."

Bae was brave just like Belle and always knew just what to say. Cameron gave the toddler and his sweet Belle a squeeze showing his own love for them and it took all her pain and fear away. Age and blood didn't come into it, Cam was the love of her life and Bae was her son. No one, not even her Papa could change that.

 


	16. Sooner Than Expected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not quite sure how this chapter ended up like this but it did.

Belle cried all that night and refused to release her grip on Bae, not that the boy minded, he was her lifeline and in that moment Belle needed him. Cam ached to put a stop to the pain her father had caused but all he could do was hold her tight and remind Belle of how much he loved her. It took a long time, as well as a tear soaked night shirt on his part, but exhaustion finally took over and Belle fell asleep, leaving Cam to look down on her; a soft smile on his face. Words couldn't describe how much he loved her, she was so special and smart and loving. More importantly she loved him. Cameron pushed a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear and whispered softly 'I love you' into the darkness.

He had known from the moment Belle had told him they were going to see her father that it wouldn't end well. Cam knew he wasn't young or handsome that he wasn't an overly nice person and that Belle could do a million times better. What he did know was he loved her and had expected Moe French to trust his daughter enough to make her own decisions...turns out not. Cameron had to agree with her father on one thing though, there was something monstrous hidden away deep down inside him, but he would kill himself before he let his evil harm Belle, or their baby.

Gold didn't sleep that night, he just lay there with his arms around Bae and Belle. Just him and the silence of night. He wasn't worthy of Belle, but she had chosen him and he would treasure every moment he had with her, even the ones where she was asleep on his chest, her face bathed in silver moonlight. It made Belle look like she was surrounded by a silver aura. This angel had chosen a demon and he would give her everything she wanted, he would fix what had happened with her father, he had no idea how or when, but he would. He may have been a demon, but he was her demon.

It was his silent vow to her.

XXXX

It took a few days for Belle to get back to a normal emotional level, well, as normal as she could what with her hormones everywhere. College helped her to forget what was happening with her Papa, especially when her Library Science class had spent ten minuets confusing her. However, after a few quick questions to Missus Lynd, she got it. Soon the class was dismissed and Belle waited for the masses to leave the hall before following, she had a pretty decent sized bump for four months. Victor and her doctors said it was normal and that some women where just larger than others, but Belle was sure it was all the cheesecake her baby had been making her eat. Yes, it was the baby, not just her using it as an excuse to indulge in her cake obsession. ' _All the baby's fault_ ' she would tell herself with a smile.

"Miss French?"

Now that wasn't a good voice, Belle had to force herself not to cringe. She stopped and turned to the owner of the sickly sweet voice and pushed a pleasant, but very fake smile onto her clear glossed lips.

"Dean Mills, what can I do for you?" Belle knew exactly what Regina wanted, but still, she would play the taller woman's silly game.

"I was hoping we could have a little chat in my office." Belle opened her mouth to protest and tell her about meeting Jefferson but Regina got there first. "It won't take long, I promise."

Reluctantly Belle followed Dean Mills along the hallways and up a flight of very inconvenient steps and into the woman's far too white and black office. It was large with an overcompensating desk, the walls were meant to look like some sort of forest but all it succeeded in doing was giving Belle a headache. There was a large, white cut out bowl of apples on one edge of the desk that looked like they were perfectly ripe. Belle thought they looked delicious and her mouth watered, but she didn't trust anything about the raven haired woman, even her fruit; they would probably put her in a coma or something.

She was pointed to an uncomfortable chair while Regina took up her high backed leather seat opposite, after a few awkward moments of silence that Mills had used just to make Belle nervous, she spoke.

"So Miss French, how have your classes been going?"

"Em, alright."

A protective hand came to rest on her baby bump as she forced herself to make eye contact with the Dean.

"Good, good. That's what we like to hear. And, your baby, how have your teachers been with that?"

Her fishing wasn't even subtle, it was obvious that she wanted to know about Gold and if the baby was his, if she loved him, but Belle would make her work for it.

"My teachers are fine with my baby. A few are a little annoying by asking the class to let me go first, but most don't even react."

Belle had to hide a smirk when she saw Regina's reaction to her schooled words.

"And the baby's father, who is he? Is he supporting you?"

' _She's not even trying to hide it now_ ' Belle said in her head. "He is a good person, he's happy about the baby. He's got a good job and I know he is going to be a good father."

Everything she said was true while at the same time it left everything personal out about Cameron. What Dean Mills really wanted was for Belle to turn around and say 'the father is Cameron Gold, he forced himself on me. Please have him locked up so you can be the one with the power', that was not going to happen though.

"And Professor Gold, how does he treat you?"

She was not going to let it go. Well, Belle could play the game just as long as Regina. Her hands rubbed over the spot that her baby kicked, like he or she was saying 'let me at her'. Belle smiled at that, the baby was just like their father.

"What about him?" It hurt to sound so indifferent but she didn't let on. "He's just normal Professor Gold. Angry, mean, frightening everyone in my class." ' _When at college_ ' she added in her head.

Regina raised an eyebrow, either Miss French was good at hiding her feelings, if so she deserved a medal, or she really didn't return Gold's affections. If the latter was true, then she had something to work with. If not, then she would manufacture something to work with.

"Are we done, Dean Mills? I have to meet my friend, Jefferson."

It was clear that Belle wouldn't give her anything useful so she decided she was done with the pregnant teen.

"Of course, dear. Off you go." She waved her hand dismissively.

XXXX

That evening Bae managed to drag his Mama and Papa into watching Despicable Me with him and Humphrey after dinner. Gold settled with his back against the arm of the couch while Belle leaned into his chest with Bae on her knee, cuddled around her baby bump with Humphrey. It grew dark as the movie went on and about halfway through Belle looked down to Bae.

"He's asleep." She said softly.

"He's had a long day with Ashley. She took him to one of those toddler swim lessons, he loves them."

"I'll turn it off and put him to bed."

She reached for the remote but Cam pulled it from her hand and hid it away from her behind him.

"Let it finish."

Belle smiled. "You like this movie more than Bae, don't you?" She took a lot of pleasure in teasing him.

"Hey, what can I say? I want a minion."

"What, my sweet scoundrel doesn't want Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon anymore?" It wasn't really a question, just her teasing.

"Can't I have them all? And anyway if I had a space ship I'd send our friend Dean Mills into a sun."

Belle's chuckling came to a quick end when she remembered her talk with the bitch herself. She wasn't normally one for swearing, but when it came to Regina Mills she had no other word. She was a first-class Bitch.

"I had to talk to her earlier." Cameron's face fell to a cross between serious and worried.

"Oh? And what did she want?"

"She was looking to see who the baby's father is."

"And what did you tell her?" Cam tightened his grip on her, pushing all his love in to the touch. "To sod off I hope."

"Not quite. I said that he loves me and that he has a good job and wants to support the baby."

"So you told her everything without saying anything important?"

"Pretty much. I'm beginning to think that the only way to get rid of her is if we get married."

She meant it as a joke, but something sparked in Cameron's heart.

"Then marry me."

In that moment everything stopped.

"What?"

"Well, I love you and you love me. I know it sounds like I'm just saying this because it gets her off our backs, but I'm not. Belle, she may be the spark for it, but she's not reason I'm asking, I love you."

"Not the proposal I would have expected."

"Belle, I'm not joking." He turned her around to look at him. "I love you, you're the one flicker of light among an ocean of dark. You make me want to be a better man and that's never happened before. I'm not saying lets do it tomorrow just, one day, after the baby's born. Marry me?"

Everything went silent for a moment as Belle took in his words. She had always imagined them being a real family and there was no mistaking the love in Cameron's gold chocolate eyes. Was it too fast? Was it a way of getting rid of Dean Mills? Was it for Bae, so he would have a real mother? Yes was probably the answer to all of them, however, there were much more important questions to be answered. Was she happy with Cam and Bae? Yes. Did she want them to be a family? Yes. Did Belle care if it was too fast? No.

Did she want to marry Cameron Gold? Yes.

Belle felt her lips curl upwards into a brighter than the sun smile. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Her words were soft and gently, but that didn't stop Cam from feeling like he'd been hit by a train. Belle had said yes. She said yes! To him, to evil unworthy him. For a moment Cameron thought he was dreaming but the pain when he bit his inner cheek told him otherwise.

"You will?" His voice barley sounded and tears began to flood his eyes.

"Yes, you silly idiot. I love you so how could I say no?"

Gold didn't realize it was possible, but with those words his love for her grew. Suddenly memories filled his mind and Cameron stood then made his way over to a draw removing something small before returning. Gold sat down and pulled Belle closer to him, Bae still in her arms.

"Here." He said opening the small black velvet box. Belle gasped, inside was a ring. It was white gold with a large opal in the middle surrounded by a mass of swirling blue diamonds, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"If...if you don't like it..."

"I love it." With that she handed him the ring so Cam could slip it onto her finger; it fit perfectly. Belle hauled him into a kiss. Eventually a need for oxygen caused them to release the lip lock.

"So you just have engagement rings hidden around the house?"

"No." He smiled. "It em, it belonged to my Aunt."

Belle could tell there was a story there and she was determined to find out what it was.

"Your Aunt?"

"She raised me." He pulled his now fiancée into a tight embrace while Bae snoozed on the other side of the couch. "My mother died giving birth to me and em...my father, he left me with my Aunt one day and just never came back."

"He abandoned you?" Belle had no idea how anyone could do that to their child, it was monstrous.

"It was probably the best thing that could have happened. My Aunt, her name was Olivia, she raised me. Loved me. From an early age I had an obsession with that ring." He gestured to the white gold band decorating Belle's hand. "So she gave me this one." He held up the hand that he wore his gold opal ring on. "Haven't taken it off since I was eight. Most painful moment of my life when I lost her."

Belle's heart warmed at the story of his Aunt Olivia, but it also felt his pain, she couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to be abandoned by someone she loved. It was an agony that she never again wanted him to experience. The alarm code finally made sense though.

"Anyway, I should be listening to you going on about dresses and the hundreds of people you want to invite."

"Never wanted a big wedding."

"Good because neither do I." That made her smile.

"All I need is you, Bae, the baby and my three best friends, with that I'm set. Maybe some Blink 182" The two chuckled.

Belle couldn't care less what anyone else thought, she loved him and getting married was just the next step in their lives together. They loved each other and that was all that mattered in the end. Their lives were not a tale of going slow, sometimes things went faster than people expected or thought was right. It didn't matter what other people thought since the moment they admitted their feelings for one another Belle knew he was the man she would marry. It was just a little sooner than she had expected. Belle's need for a real family had taken over.

 

 

Belle's ring

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is, they've given into their feelings and forgotten about anything logical and normal. They don't care.


	17. Roller Coaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is fast paced to show Belle's need.

Belle practically knocked down the door as she entered her and Ruby's apartment. Exited to tell her friend, Belle pretty much screamed.

"Ruby! Ruby I have to tell you something." She dropped her keys and turned, stopping dead at the sight before her. "Victor!" She pulled him into a demanding hug and held him close. "I haven't seen you in a week."

"I know." He began as the blonde snaked his arms around his friend. "I'm sorry, but my being an intern is over in two days so you get me back."

"I get him first." Came Jefferson's voice from the couch beside Ruby.

Eventually Belle released Victor and Jefferson demanded to know what it was she was so desperate to tell Ruby. It took her a moment, but after a few sips of the apple and raspberry juice Victor brought her, he was good like that, she began to explain.

"Well, Cameron. He em...he asked me to marry him."

Her best friend's eyes all widened, almost doubling in size and Jefferson nearly choked on his tea. Over the months Ruby had learnt that Cam was a better man than people gave him credit for, Jefferson'd learnt that Gold was a good father and loved Belle more than life itself. Victor had gotten the strangest reaction because he'd learnt that they were not so different, they were both protective of the people they saw as family and they were both capable of monstrous things. On a lighter note they also had the same sense of humour.

"Marry him?" Ruby's voice pulled everyone back from their thoughts.

"Yes, marry him. I said yes."

Belle held out her bejewelled hand for inspection. Ruby had always said 'never marry a man that doesn't give you a huge diamond' but she had to admit, the combination of white gold, blue diamonds and an opal the size of her face, okay she may have been exaggerating, was beautiful.

"Call being bridesmaid." Announced Ruby when she was done inspecting Belle's engagement ring.

"We expected nothing less." Said Jefferson leaning over to Belle with a smile. "We're going dress shopping."

"Jeff, I'm not getting married this very moment, after the baby is born. We have time." Belle secretly knew she would marry Cameron that very moment if she got chance.

"Oh my God! I could make one." He gasped.

"Jefferson, baby. Calm down." Victor gestured as he spoke.

"Or what? You'll spank me?" The dark haired man wiggled his eyebrows.

"You two get a room, this is about Belle." Ruby turned back to her friend and shuffled closer to wrap her in a loving hug.

"Our little Belle is growing up." Came Victor's voice and they all started laughing.

XXXX

Regina Mills sat at her large oak desk drumming her fingers on the wood in annoyance. Nothing was going how she wanted it to and Regina didn't like it when she didn't get what she wanted.

"So you have nothing?" She growled up at Professor Glass.

Glass was a useful man at times, he taught Journalism, but it was his way of finding out anything about anyone that Regina found important. It also helped that he was hopelessly in love with her.

"Maybe there is nothing to find. Her grades have always been A's and from what I've seen of her work, she's earned them, its not favouritism. I watched him in some of his classes, no one saw me of course, and she hardly even looks at him. He likes her yes that much is obvious, but I really don't think she returns it."

Cameron Gold having a crush was pretty much nothing she didn't already know. She could only use that to start rumours and maybe even get Miss French to explode and yell at him, it would be entertaining, but alas he would still be powerful. Glass had no idea of the real reason she wanted Gold destroyed, it went far beyond the simple rivalry they had. In truth Dean Mills was scared. Over the years she'd been skimming of the top of the college budget, never enough to be noticed, but after years of doing it she had become rather wealthy, and Gold knew, well she was ninety percent sure he knew. Cameron Gold was the sort of man to hide away a nugget of information like that until he wanted to do some serious damage and Regina was terrified of that day. She had to get to him first and Belle French was probably her only way, so Professor Glass stood there telling her he had nothing knew was the worst outcome possible.

"Here is what's going to happen." She leaned forwards and gave him her most menacing glare. "You are going to find me something, I don't care what you have to do, but find it." Leaning back Regina fluttered her eyelashes and bit her lip seductively. "And I'd be eternally grateful, I wouldn't know how to say thank you." Glass audibly swallowed and his breathing quickened. Miss French would be graduating Gold's class and have nothing more to do with him in about a month and so she was running out of time.

"I'll...I'll get right on it."

XXXX

Jefferson had gone off the deep end looking for wedding dresses and shoes. He was having fun so she let him, in fact his excitement was beginning to rub off on her and she couldn't wait. Belle didn't need or want a large wedding, she just needed the people she loved. So that was how she came to be sat in his living room looking soulfully into his eyes.

"Belle its been a week. It's just because you're exited, once the baby is born and you finish college completely I promise we will get married."

He would marry Belle there and then in the living room if he got his way but Cam knew she deserved a real wedding no matter how small. She was just exited, it would soon calm down and they could get married properly.

"No Cam, you don't get it. I can't wait, I love you and I want to be able to call you my husband. I want our baby to be born in wedlock, I want you to be able to go into Dean Mills' office and say 'stay the hell away from my wife'. I want us to be a real family and I want it now." She sighed. "I know it's selfish and fast but I can't think of anything else. I've never really had a family, just my Papa. Now with everything that's happened...I don't know. I want Bae and the baby to have a real family, I want you to. I don't want to wait until the baby is born and I finish college, Library Science is a three year course and I've only done one. We shouldn't put it off. I don't just want to be married to you, I need to be married to you. I...I feel it, in my heart."

"You really want to do this soon?" Belle nodded. "Then I suggest you have Jefferson find you a dress."

"Really!"

"Its what you want." Cam would do anything for Belle, and he did like the sound of being able to tell Regina to stay away from his wife. "I'll make some calls and we can get married soon."

XXXX

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed as Belle told her three best friends the news. "Last week you were all, 'we have time' and 'after the baby is born'."

"Things change, Ruby. Now could you be quiet while we look at dresses?" Jefferson pleaded.

"But, don't you think this is a little too fast?" It was strange hearing Ruby being the smart and logical one.

"Since when have those two done anything slow?" He counted off on his hands. "Had sex in a car, got her pregnant after six months, she's practically adopted his kid and now they're getting married." Jefferson looked over to Belle as he handed her another maternity wedding dress magazine. "You two my dear are a roller coaster couple."

Belle giggled at that, maybe they were, but she didn't care. Things would slow down after the baby and the wedding of that she was sure. It was like she couldn't breathe, Belle needed to be married to him, she needed to say 'I do' and know that he was hers and she was his. Forever. If she didn't say those words soon Belle thought she may explode.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive the typos in this but i haven't had time to go through this one completely so i'll fix it later on today. Sorry.


	18. Suturing The Wound

It was early afternoon on Sunday, the day before her and Cameron's wedding, and a swarm of butterflies seemed to have moved into Belle's stomach. She and Jefferson had found the perfect dress, simple, but elegant and just what she wanted. Victor's work with the New York hospital had come to an end so he'd been helping Ruby with planning the wedding, Cam had somehow gathered her two friends into whispers and general secretiveness when it came to her special day. She'd been right about Cam and Victor, they had the same humor and were both very protective, Cameron didn't have many, well any friends really, but the way he had been around Victor told him that he may have made one. It was nice to know her future husband got along with her friends. Belle had been most surprised with Ruby, she had always through Professor Gold creepy and evil, but now she saw the man just like Belle did, it warmed Belle's heart to see it.

She knew it was bad luck for him to see the bride before the wedding, but since it was only Sunday afternoon Belle consented and let Cam drive her to his home. It was a shame because Ashley had taken Bae to the park with Kubla, she really could have used a Bae hug. For some reason Cam seemed nervous, whether it was the wedding or not she wasn't quite sure. He set her down on the couch and curled up with her for a while, no one spoke, it wasn't needed. The two just enjoyed the others company, hours seemed to pass and then Cameron finally broke the silence.

"Belle." He began as he sat up and pulled something from his pocket. "I have a gift for you, call it a wedding present."

An uncontrollable smile grew on Belle's face as box was slid into her awaiting hands. It was matte black and not the right shape to be jewelry, not that he had to buy her jewelry.

"I didn't get you anything." Belle sounded embarrassed.

"You're marring me tomorrow that is gift enough." He meant it, Belle was a candle in the dark that was his life. "And you are giving us a child, I think you're giving me more than enough."

Belle smiled at that and looked down to open the box. Inside were three silver keys looped onto a keychain, it was gold and held a small rose, her favourite, Belle didn't say anything, but she knew it would be real gold. He liked spoiling her.

"What are these to?" She asked looking up at him with a smile.

"Well, this one." He said pointing to the first key. "This one is to our new home."

"What?"

"You told me once that when you graduated you wanted to go to Maine with your friends. We're going to live in Storybrooke, just like we talked about."

"I thought you were just humouring me." She said in disbelief.

"No, of course not. Bae will start school soon enough and I think this place will be good for him, for us, for our baby."

"You would really pack up and move, just for me?"

"I would do anything for you. It's your dream, and this way I get mine too."

Belle gave him a puzzled but happy look, thanks to her hormones tears were slowly dripping down her cheeks. He pointed to the second key that one was smaller and a bronze color.

"This is the key to the shop I brought."

"Your little antique store?" He just nodded and pulled her close. "Are you going to be the powerful pawnbroker then?"

The tears came to a sudden stop and humour took over, her moods were really becoming unpredictable.

"That's about it yes."

"What's the last key to?"

"Ahh, that one is a surprise."

"A surprise?" He nodded. "But I want to know now."

"Well you are just going to have to wait." He looked over to a clock on the mantel, seven o'clock, they'd been there for a lot longer than they thought. "And now you must leave, I'll drive you back to your apartment." Neither one had noticed that Ashley had brought Bae and Kubla home, tucked him up in bed and left hours ago.

She knew why he was making her leave, she was the one that had made him agree to it, but that didn't mean she wanted to leave him. Alas she insisted on checking on Bae before she went anywhere, Bae seemed to sense her presence even while he was asleep and beamed up at his Mama. Knowing he had to get Belle out of the house he dressed Bae and let her hold him as Cam took her home. Ruby had been up since four checking and rechecking things, for a courthouse wedding there was a lot that needed doing. Since the early hour at which she woke Ruby would probably be face down in a pillow by the time she got back. Jefferson and Victor were staying over so they would have the television on trying to battle Mister Carpenter's. That made her smile.

When Cam kissed her goodnight in her apartment doorway Belle had to physically force herself to not pull him into her bedroom and ride him until she screamed. However, with Bae in his arms and her two gay best friends chuckling at some comedy on the couch she decided it wasn't a good idea.

"I love you."

"And I love you, Cam. Are we really going to Storybrooke with the others?"

"Yes, my darling."

They shared a kiss before he finally left her for the evening.

XXXX

Belle paced back and forth outside the room she would soon be married in. She was terrified. Victor was inside by Cameron's side since he had been asked to be the best man while Jefferson kept an eye on Bae who'd demanded on being a ring bearer after they had explained to him that it didn't involve a real bear. Ruby was the only one with Belle, dressed in a knee length cherry red dress to match her lips with a sweetheart neckline. She looked beautiful, but then again Ruby always did.

"Ruby, I'm scared."

"I know, but you'll be okay. All brides are scared." She looked over to the large clock mounted on the far cream wall and gasped, four o'clock. "Hun, I'll go get Jefferson. You should have someone to give you away."

"I think that's my job." Came the most unexpected voice in the world from behind Belle. She turned and gasped.

"Papa?"

Everything came to a sudden stop. Belle hadn't told him about the wedding, it wasn't that she didn't want him there it was more of the fact she was scared of him somehow putting a stop to it. Her plan had been to get married and then tell her Papa, he wouldn't be able to change anything then. Belle didn't know what to say so she was thankful when he filled the silence.

"I love you Izzy. If you'll forgive me, I would be honoured to walk you down the aisle."

"I thought you hated Cam." Belle asked in a confused voice.

"Lets just say he made some good points and we are suturing a wound."

XXXX 7 HOURS EARLIER XXXX

Moe French hadn't really been sleeping since the fight with Izzy. The refrigerator was filled with beer again and Pizza boxes were almost overflowing the bin, at the bottom rotted the Chicken Rice Casserole he had made what seemed like forever ago.

He slumped down onto the couch and was just about to switch on the television when a powerful knock came at the door. He recognized all the people he knew and their knocks; Izzy's was soft and gentle, Isaac's was always a triplet, Lewis' was more of a thud and Chris just banged on the door until it was opened. The twins Jim and Aiden were hard to tell apart, but he always knew it was one of them. The knock came again and Moe sighed knowing it was some stranger, it was clear the person on the other side of the door wasn't going away so in a need for quiet he answered.

On the other side was Cameron Gold, dressed in another ruddy suit. Just as he opened his mouth Moe punched him as hard as he could in the face.

"Fuck!" Cursed Cam, wiping away the little hint of blood from his nose. "Probably deserved that."

"Yeah, no shit. You deserve a lot more." Moe raised his arm but Cam somehow pinned him to the open door with his cane.

"I came here to talk not to fight, I could beat you to death with my cane, but Belle wouldn't want that. May I come in?"

He didn't wait for a reply Gold just released him and wandered into the apartment.

"Get the fuck out!" Demanded Moe.

"No. Not until you have heard what I have to say, sit."

Knowing he wasn't going to win Moe took a seat at his small dining table and looked up at Gold with a scowl.

"What is it you want?"

"Belle and I are getting married today."

"The fucking hell you..."

"No, it's going to go like this. I will speak and you will listen and then at the end I will leave you to think about what I have said. I am not asking your permission to marry her, it's happening." Cam took a deep breath and calmed himself down, when he spoke again it was in a more human voice. "I know I'm not worthy of Belle, I know no man is. I know that she could do so much better. I know I'm too old and I also know that we crossed a huge line since I'm her teacher."

"You're her what?!"

"Oh, Belle didn't tell you that. We'll put a pin in that." He said dismissively. "I love her and for some reason known only to Belle she loves me too. She is twenty now and can make her own decisions. This isn't about me or you, its about Belle and what she wants. I will take care of her and protect her until my dying day, with the very last breath in my body I will fight for her. I'm a coward, I always have been, but she makes me want to be better, be good, be brave and that hasn't happened in a very long time." He took another breath and saw that he had Moe's full attention. "I am also well-aware of how you feel. I know what its like to be away from your child, it hurts. You feel like you can't breathe, like you'll die if you don't hold them that very moment. This feud between us is hurting Belle and you, she wants you back in her life and if it makes her happy then so do I. She wants you in our child's life."

It was killing Gold being that honest, but he had to push through for Belle. His fingers gripped his cane not just for physical support but an emotional one too.

"What are you saying?" Moe was clearly holding back tears, but he would never let Cameron see him cry.

"I made a silent promise to Belle that I would fix this." He gestured to the two of them. "I'm aware that I can't just cast a spell and play happy families, but maybe...maybe we could suture the wound, bandage it and over time let it heal and fix itself. We just have to be man enough to start the process."

Cam let that thought hang in the air for a moment before fishing a folded piece of paper out his right inside pocket. He set it down on the table beside Moe and sighed.

"That is the time and address, Belle didn't want a big wedding. Think about what I said."

He made his way over to the door, but came to a stop when Moe spoke.

"Cameron?"

"Yes."

"You said you didn't know why Izzy loved you. I think its because you'll try and do anything for her, even when you're terrified."

Cam nodded and left. He shook with fear, he'd never done anything that brave or selfless in all his life.

Moe looked down at the folded paper and thought of what Gold had said. It was clear that he loved Izzy and Moe had to admire the man for that. He had said he was a coward, but by showing up in his apartment he had proved that to be false. Cameron Gold was a better man than he'd given him credit for. Mister French looked up at the refrigerator and then with his mind made up, he threw out all the beer.

 

 

 


	19. I Do

It was so very silent as the wedding began, Moe's eyes locked on his daughter the entire time. He had just made the most important decision of his life by 'giving Belle away', entrusting her to Cameron like she was a precious jewel. He had thrown the beer out almost the moment Cameron left his apartment because of his beautiful Belle, she was happy with Gold and Moe had to admit that he hadn't seen her smile so much since her mother died all those years ago. How he missed Colette.

“Do you Cameron Cian Gold...”

He loved his daughter to the ends of the earth and back and so if she was happy, then he would put all his uncertainties and worries away in a box and never open it again. She was old enough to make her own decisions and mature far beyond her years. Belle and Cameron may have done things very fast, but Moe could understand why Belle had pushed it forwards, he was her father, of course he had always known about her desperation to have her own family, he knew he could never be enough.

“I do.”

Gold was still too old for her in his opinion, but he had been nearly ten years older than Colette when they met all those years ago at the AC/DC consent. _Maybe I've been a little hypocritical_ he told himself. _It's clear Cameron loves Izzy. Clear she loves him, and love is not bound by any law._ It had taken a very long time but Moe finally realised that no one can choose who they fall in love with, it just happens when you least expect it.

“And do you Isabelle Penelope Maria French take...”

Moe internally chuckled at that, he had always hated the name Maria, but Colette had insisted since it was her middle name and her mothers before her. He knew that if his darling wife was there she would have hit him over the head with something for standing between such obvious love, but he couldn't help it. He was Izzy's father and the need to protect her sometimes pushed away what was clear and right in front of him. _I'm sorry, my love. You were always the smart one, you would have seen the love they share, not the age gap._ _You would have been so much better at this than me. You her mother filled with wisdom, me her father ruled by the old-fashioned sixties lifestyle. Victor and Jefferson are gay, Ruby doesn't we_ _ar_ _enough clothes and my daughter is marrying a man twice her age...because she loves him. Some things should be accepted, my love, I see that now. _His thoughts went on as the ceremony continued. Moe could see he had focused on something unimportant to the people of today, yet to him it had seemed like an elephant in the room. He had misjudged things and almost lost his daughter and grandchild because of it, not again, Izzy was happy and that was good enough. If Cameron ever hurt her though...he was a dead man.

“I do.”

Two little words and his beautiful baby girl was a woman, a wife.

They shared a gentle kiss then suddenly Victor and Ruby stood and started clapping while Jefferson held Bae close. Jefferson had always wanted a kid,  _maybe when Victor's a doctor_ , he told himself. Belle's smile was brighter than the sun as she made her way from her new husband and to her best friends. Moe took the opportunity to grab Cameron's arm. He turned and for a split second was confused.

“I may have misjudged you but that doesn't mean I like you. If you hurt her or that baby make no mistake. I _will_ kill you.”

Strangely Cameron just smiled and tugged his arm free.

“I would expect nothing else of a father.”

XXXX

Cam didn't know what his favourite part was, hearing her say 'I do' or Belle on her back for their wedding night. Maybe it was equal.

“Please Cam.” She begged as he teased her folds with his fingers.

“I. Love. You.” He announced in between kisses to her delicate and pale neck.

At almost four and a half months pregnant sex was a little difficult for Belle, but the pleasure would soon take over. She still wore her wedding dress but Cam wasted no time in stripping her of the offending garment, his own suit had long since been abandoned in a pool by the door. They had just come in, put Bae to bed and started their wedding night. His mouth found her breast and began to tease the flesh, calling the bud of her nipple to attention. Small gasps deep from her throat escaped as his open-mouthed kisses made their way up her body to her neck, Belle's eyes fluttered shut as her new husband bit down, marking her as his own. All his.  _His!_

“Mama! Mama!” Came the sudden screams of Bae and the newly weds let out a sigh.

“I just got cock-blocked by my own son.” Cam said in what he thought was a whisper.

Belle froze, eyes locked on his with a smile.

“Did you just say 'cock-blocked'?”

“Well its true.”

With that Belle burst out laughing, her hormones taking the situation and making it a million times funnier than it actually was. Cam couldn't help it, her laugh was infectious and he started too.

“Mama!” Screamed Bae again.

“I'll be back in a minuet, I knew we should have had Ashley take care of him.” She quickly slipped on a soft white robe.

“Some new man in her life has taken her away for the weekend as a birthday treat.”

“Typical.” She said with a smile and then made her way down the red hall to Bae.

When she entered he was crying and had Humphrey buried in his neck for comfort. Belle sat down on the silk sheets and pulled her son close.

“What's wrong, Angel? Bad dream?” He nodded into her side. “Oh daring, nothing is going to hurt you it was just a dream. You're safe I promise.”

Bae's tears didn't slow and so Belle pulled him to sit in her lap where he clung to her bump, as if sensing his or her brother the baby kicked.

“You know, when the baby is born they're going to need a brave big brother to keep them safe. You think you and Humphrey can do that?” Belle looked down to Bae whose tears had suddenly stopped at the mention of his sibling, she knew Bae would be a fantastic big brother.

“Yeah.” He answered simply, his dream long since forgotten. “Is Brother?”

“Well, Angel. We don't know, we won't know that until the baby is born.”

“Why?”

“So as it's a surprise.”

Belle and Bae sat there for a while, he liked being comforted by his Mama. It suddenly occurred to Belle that it was the first time that she really was his Mama and he her son, they were finally a real family. Soon Bae fell back to sleep with Humphrey, Belle looked down at him with a soft smile playing on her lips. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and tucked him in, he looked so much like Cam when he was asleep, peaceful and ever so cute.

With her son again in a dreamland, hopefully a happier one than before, she made her way back down the hall to her husband.

 


	20. Nothing

Regina was at her wit's end. She had nothing, _nothing._ Glass had spent weeks going through everything and anything that he could get his hands on and yet had found nothing she could use to strike against Gold. Professor Glass was no longer useful to her and so like with everything that held no value to her, she had thrown him back to the small, dark lecturer hall he had come from. To teach a load of mediocre students that most likely thought he was as useless as she did. _Good riddance_ she had thought, _you want something done you have to do it yourself._ Regina's mother had drilled that into her and in a way she was thankful for it, if she did things herself she knew that everything had been done right. 

Regina leaned back in the leather chair and looked around her office, taking a deep breath she eased her tension. Her 'skimming' of the top of the college fund had slowed since she had learned of Gold's probable knowledge, but not ceased. Dean Mills enjoyed her lifestyle far too much for that. Nothing new had come up with young Miss French, although she had noticed the glow that Belle had taken on in the last few weeks it puzzled her, but she had more important things to worry about. Things like how to destroy him once and for all. All the years she had tried and Belle French was her only chance, with Glass finding fuck all she could use Regina was forced to create something. She let out a sigh, her creative juices were not flowing at full speed.

The raven haired woman stood and left her office in favour of walking the college halls, it always helped her think, they were quiet with the odd student meandering through, moving slightly faster when they saw her. Golden sun streamed through the skylights like a mysterious beam from some alien craft, when she had taken over as Dean she had insisted that the halls were re-painted in a soft green destroying the hideous peach that Dean Leopold had favoured. She wanted nothing left of him, he had ruled the college with kindness and care, Regina ran it with fear and subtle threats. She rounded the hall to the left, the only sound being her heels clicking as she walked. At the end of the long hallway she found the black double doors that led down to Gold's lecture hall, she peered through the glass. He stood at the front by his desk with a sketch of what she assumed was supposed to be Frankenstein projected behind him, talking away like Belle wasn't sat in the front row. Gold was good, he had covered his tracks well when it came to his want for the young girl, but he could never fully hide it, not from Regina.

Dean Mills' hatred for Gold had gone far beyond his ability to expose her, she wanted him to suffer, to be in pain, to have nothing, to destroy everything that had even the slight chance to make him happy. _I will destroy your happiness, if it the last thing I do._ Regina would beat him down until she could squish him under her three hundred-dollar heels. Hear that satisfying crunch as bones broke. 

Just as she was about to return to her office and indulge in one of the apples from her beloved childhood tree, she saw it, the bruise on Belle's eye. Pale only just beginning to show. Regina's devil smile appeared.

“ Oh, now I can use that.” 

 


	21. The Set Up

Regina had almost giggled herself to sleep after finding Belle's black eye. She couldn't care less what had really happened, no, all Dean Mills cared about was destroying Gold once and for all. Leaving him nothing but a pile of smoke and ash. After some thinking the next morning in her office on how best to destroy him she decided that the middle of the day while he was teaching would be best, and the most fun. He wouldn't suspect a daytime attack and so wouldn't be prepared for his doom. Everyone already hated him and all the students were afraid of him, so no one would question it.  _Perfect_ Regina told herself right before making the call.  

XXXX

Gold stood at the front of the lecture hall as he always did, educating his terrified class and trying desperately not to smile at his new wife. _Focus_ Cam would often scream to himself when he could feel his strength failing him.

“ Victor Frankenstein doesn't give his creature a name.” Cam began. “What does this do for the story? What does it say about us in society today that we think the creatures name is Frankenstein? Or for that matter that we call Victor's creation a monster when the text doesn't refer to him as that anywhere.”

The class was silent for a moment as they scribbled down notes, everything was normal...until the double doors burst open. Two police officers quickly made their way down the carpeted stairs and directly to Gold. One was nothing more than a beat cop but the other, now he was the one in charge.

“You Cameron Gold?” Asked the authoritative one in a thick Irish accent.

“Yes. Who are you and why do you want to know?” He shot back in his equally accented voice.

“I'm Detective Graham Humbert. And you are under arrest for assault of a student.”

In that moment it all made sense. He had long waited for the day that Regina would strike and it seemed that it had finally revealed itself. It was clear that she had gotten Professor Glass to call some of his cop buddies and move things along. Detective Humbert probably just got told to come and arrest him by a superior without knowing the full story. The entire lecture hall was on the edge of their seats waiting to see what would happen. _Here we go then_ he said to himself. 

“And who am I supposed to have _assaulted_ , may I ask?”

Graham looked almost taken back by the question. 

“Miss Isabelle French.”

All the students turned their attention to Belle except Ruby who looked on at the scene in horror just like her best friend. They knew the truth of what had happened.

“You were seen flirting with Miss French and as soon as she refused your _affection_ you struck  your pregnant student.”

Cam had to admit Regina had thought it all through, shame she didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle to make it watertight. Cameron raised an eyebrow.

“No, I think you have something wrong, Detective.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Cam leaned past Graham to see the terrified looks Ruby and Belle wore. “Belle, Ruby would you mind coming here and explaining what happened with the bruise?”

“He didn't hit me.” Belle said without hint of fear as Ruby helped her stand and make their way to Cam and the policemen.

“She's not lying.” Added Ruby.

“This happened because of Ruby. I know you probably hear 'I walked into something' a lot but I did. We were putting away groceries and Ruby left a cupboard open I turned around and slammed straight into it.”

“You're right, we do hear that a lot.”

“Well its true.” Ruby sounded more angry than Belle and Cam combined. “If you are arresting anyone for this its me.”

“He would never hurt me, _never.”_

“How can you be so sure Miss French?” It was a logical question. 

“Because she's not Miss French any longer.” Cam said before he could stop himself.

“Oh? Then who is she?”

The had got that far and if it meant that Cam wasn't arrested then she would happily let people know. Belle's words sounded more forceful than she had planned but it got her point across.

“I'm his wife.” She announced holding up her hand to show off her ring and then moved a little closer to Cameron. “Missus Gold not Miss French.”

Graham stood in shock for a moment and the students behind him seemed to have grown so quiet that for a moment they seemed not to exist. Even Ruby was in shock that they had admitted it.

“Wife?” Asked Graham like he was in a dream.

“Yes Detective.” Cam confirmed. “Wife.”

In that moment Regina's plan royally backfired on her. Graham seemed to have forgotten he was meant to arrest Cam and instead just stood there with a confused look on his face. 

“Then why would we get a call that said...”

“Because the Dean is a cruel woman that's obsessed with destroying me because of what I know.” Cam interrupted, no longer caring who was around him.

“And what do you know?”

“Embezzlement.” Cam stated flatly and that peaked Graham's interest.

“Go on.”

Cam rounded his desk and pulled open a draw retrieving a brown file, he handed it to he detective and then began his destruction of Regina Mills. She had ruined his last few months as a teacher with Belle, he was going to leave anyway but now she had angered him, suggested he would hurt his darling wife and so she would get no mercy. She had released the monster and Gold was so much better at an attack than she was, after he finished Regina would wish she was never born. 

“You seem like a smart man.” He told Graham. “About ten years ago I noticed that the English department was slowly getting less and less of a budget for; trips, equipment and such. For a long time I thought it was nothing...” Lie, Gold had known from the second he noticed that Regina was keeping it for herself, he was just holding onto it for a rainy day. “...Just that the college had less of an income to be split between faculties, but recently...” Lie again, it wasn't recent at all. “...I've been able to prove that the income and department budgets don't match up. There is a significant amount that vanishes from the budget before it makes it to the departments.”

“And how can you be sure its the Dean?” A valid question, Cam was surprised Detective Humbert was keeping up so well. 

“Everything goes through her, she is the intermediary between the departments and the accountants. Regina Mills is the only one who could change the figures and have access to the accounts without someone noticing. The only reason I did was because I was suspicious and _looked_ for it.”

Graham flicked through the file and then looked up at Gold. His accent relaxing a little as he spoke.

“I'll need you and em...your wife to come down to the station and give statements. If this is true we have to make a case and quickly.” The both nodded and then he looked to Ruby. “You too Miss?”

“Lucas. And sure.”

Yes, Regina was royally screwed.


	22. Broken Dam

It was official, in one day everything had changed. Belle could cope with the glances and the constant 'who's the baby daddy' gossip, but since her and Cameron's marriage had come to light people had been full on staring at her. It was only a month until she finished her English course, but still, Belle felt they were looking at her like she was one of those _easy_ teens from TV that slept with all their Professors. Gossip had spread like wildfire and Cam's almost arrest hadn't traversed the college halls. It was odd, Belle thought that everyone would know everything but it seemed not. 

She, Cam and Ruby had spent most of the night at the police station talking with Detective Humbert. Belle was amazed at how much information Cameron had on Regina, she had known nothing about the budget and was beyond shock that anyone would do such a thing. Belle had quickly discovered that the three were there to back up parts of the case Graham had begun to build against Dean Mills. Cam was the information, all The details and the paper trail, all the evidence. Belle was to show Regina's character, her evil nature and tendency to play dirty. Ruby, who was probably the most confused by the entire situation, was to back up Belle's story...and she did it quite well. 

Thankfully Cam hadn't been arrested and a God must have felt kind because he had no lectures that day either. They had all thought that it was best for him not to show his face until they had Regina, let her think her plan had at least _partially_ worked. No one could arrest Regina without enough evidence and they didn't want to spook her and lose not only the Dean but the paper trail too. Regina was good, but Cameron was better.

Belle walked down the hall after her Library Science class, everyone staring at her with no attempt to hide it. She felt like she was being eaten alive. Eyes occasionally glanced down to her almost five month belly then back up, obviously they had but two and two together and figured out Gold was the father. She felt sorry for the baby, like she and Cam had caused him or her some huge embarrassment. It was just when Belle felt like crying that an arm snaked around her shoulder and pulled her close, it took her less than half a second to realise it was Victor. She buried her nose in his shoulder breathing him in for a moment before he said. 

“Come on, follow me.”

Belle did as instructed and followed Victor through the halls glaring at anyone who dared look at her, she smiled a little seeing his protective side coming out. He led her to the library, not just because it was always the least populated area but for some comfort. They all knew how much she loved books. The blonde guided her around a stack and over to a table in the very back corner of the room, hidden by all the stacks, it was like a little sanctuary and she really needed it after all that had happened. Belle smiled again when she saw Jefferson sat with his back pressed against the wall, a Thermos of hot tea in his hand.

“Sounded like you need this.” Jefferson said offering her the small plastic cup.

“Yeah,” She sat on the chair Victor pulled out for her and took the cup. “I really do.”

“So people know?” Victor took his own seat and gave Jefferson a quick kiss.

“Is it that obvious?” She tried to joke but it came out more of a terrified sob.

“Belle, honey. Ruby told us what happened and maybe its a good thing.”

“ _Good thing_? Victor how can this be a good thing?”

“Well, its a month Belle. A month and we're all back in Storybrooke.”

“Victor's right.” Jefferson began. “A month and then you, me, Victor, Cameron and Ruby are all home free. Who cares if they know, you're his wife and there is nothing they can do about it. Cameron was going to quit anyway.”

“I know that everyone was going to find out eventually, but I thought it would be on my terms not Dean Mills'. She's ruined everything.” Belle began to sob.

“Oh baby girl.” The blonde pulled her in close to his chest again and took the green plastic up from her hand. “There, there. The Dean ruins everything. Ruby said you were all with the cops so that means you and Cameron win.”

It was a nice thought, winning. Being able to defeat the evil queen and ride off into the sunset with their baby, but Belle knew that Regina wouldn't go down without one hell of a fight. Regina had challenged Cam to a fight to the death, Belle just hoped he she didn't lose him. He was her husband, her perfect Cameron.

“Do you want to stay with us tonight?” Jefferson asked pulling Belle from her mind.

“Thanks but no. I just want to be with Cam and Bae.” 

“There you are.” Suddenly came Ruby's voice as she rounded a stack and threw her bag on the table. “I was looking for you everywhere.” She sat on Victor's knee since there were no chairs left and looked at her best friend with such love and care. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm okay I guess. Just got to puck myself up, dust off and carry on.” Belle forced herself to sound positive. 

“Yeah.” Ruby agreed. “Then when that hot detective locks her up you can grab your man and make out to the tune of _Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead_.”

Belle couldn't hold in her giggle. “Yeah, something like that.”

XXXX

“I don't like it, Sidney.” The Dean told Professor Glass the second he poked his head through the door to her office. “They didn't arrest him.”

“My friend at the station said that Gold, Miss French and Miss Lucas were at the police station, but no charges were brought.” Sidney moved closer to the desk, meaning closer to Regina. “I think...I think they may have been able to explain the bruise. I mean you never knew how she got it, it could have happened on camera.” 

“Well thank you Sidney...for stating the bloody obvious as usual.”

“Maybe, you just have to come up with something else.”

Before she could respond with another off the cuff insult, laughing filtered through the glass door and into her office. It made her blood boil, Regina was already angry and teens giggling while everything around her fell apart was annoying to say the least. She flew up from her high-backed leather chair and stomped across the room to fling open the door. 

“ _What_ is so funny?!” Regina asked in a demanding tone. “You, tell me.”

Three girls stood in a huddle but turned and straightened in fear when addressed by their Dean. A redhead pushed the beautifulChinese girl Regina had pointed at forwards, she had big dark eyes and flowing hair.  

“Who are you?” Regina asked.

“Mulan, Dean Mills.”

“Care to explain the giggling?” It wasn't a request but she managed to make it sound like one.

Mulan cleared her throat. “Belle French and Professor Gold are married. Mary Margaret saw the whole thing.” 

Regina's face dropped like a tonne of bricks. The door was slammed shut and she returned to her chair. Sidney was in shock just like Regina but he managed to ask. 

“What now?”

“Now? Now we're fucked.”

"Why? Can't you get out of this?"

"Sidney, before I was using Gold's little crush against him. Now, I've been using his wife against him. His _wife_!"

Oh yeah, Regina was right.


	23. Wolf With A Bone

Graham had truly surprised Cameron over the last few days, he had taken the information from Gold and run with it. The husband and wife had watched him build up the case against Regina Mills with strength and determination, he was a wolf with a bone, far more vicious than any normal dog. It had to be said Cameron was impressed and that didn't happen often. 

Belle had done a lot of thinking over the last couple of days, for a time she had been angry at Cam for not telling her about the embezzlement, but that soon passed. Anger had given way to happiness when she realised that the case meant that soon they would be free of Regina and her evil plots. In a way it was a relief. Victor had been right when he said Regina ruined everything, but she wouldn't be able to destroy anything after Cam and Graham were done. 

Regina had no choice but to panic, no one had seen her leave her office since the incident, but only a select few knew she was hiding. Licking her wounds in a corner, trying desperately to regroup and think her way out of the hole she had dug for herself. She had drawn a blank though. Regina didn't know quite how much Gold had on her but she knew it wasn't something she could just sweep under the rug, he was out for blood. Dean Mills would never admit it, but she was afraid. She knew she couldn't just up and leave, running would just give Gold the satisfaction of playing cat and mouse. Fear cut her deep, a sting that at first she didn't notice but the pain increased as he closed in, circled her until he was done playing with his food. Regina could have suspended him, he did sleep with his student after all, but that would only do more damaged. She had to focus on covering her tracks...but it was already too late. 

Two-thirty-eight was when Belle and Cam noticed Graham and several uniform officers making their way down the long hallways towards Regina's office. Cam and Graham's eyes met briefly and the teacher couldn't help but smile as he heard a thick Irish accent say.

“We got her.”

Just like that Regina had lost.

It was one of his proudest moments when he saw Regina handcuffed and being dragged from the building as she screamed she had done nothing wrong. Even Belle chuckled. Regina had made an excellent start at covering her tracks, a few more hours and the police would have been able to prove nothing. It looked like she had called in every favour she could but still it wasn't enough, Gold had gone for the jugular and had left Regina in a pool of her own blood. Gold found that fitting. 

XXXX

Almost a week had passed and not even Albert Spencer, Regina's lawyer, could find a way out of her charges. The college couldn't afford more embarrassment than they already had and so the board had quickly replaced her as Dean and Archie Hopper was the perfect replacement. Hopper was a good man with firm morals and would make the college proud. Gold had quit, but then again the board had been one second from firing him anyway. Gold didn't care, he had Belle, Bae and his baby and that was all he needed, well them and Kubla. 

It took a while but Cameron finally managed to convince Belle to stay in New York for a while after her English course finished, he would go ahead and get things ready in Storybrooke, and finish his little wedding gift to her at the same time but she didn't need to know that. Victor had offered to drive her once she was finished packing but Cam insisted there was no rush, and so they would part for two weeks. Belle and Bae would travel with Victor, Ruby and Jefferson when they were ready to move. Cam wanted to make sure that his darling wife felt no pressure from him, wanted her to have two weeks just to herself just being without a care in the world for a little longer before an entire town learned she was the wife of a monster. Cam had wanted to take Bae with him but Belle had become rather maternal and refused to let go of him, it was one battle he knew he couldn't win. It ended up being rather peaceful driving to Storybrooke just him, Kubla and Cordelia. 

XXXX

“Belle, is this your jacket?” Ruby began wandering out of her half packed room and over to Belle's. “I found it in my closet but I don't think its mine.”

“I've been looking for that for almost a year, Ruby.” She said in a mock annoyed tone. “Keep it, I bought a new one anyway.”

“Sorry.” Ruby dropped the black leather jacket. “Hey no you don't, let me.”

Belle had been attempting to lift her suitcase from the top shelf of her closet until she was carefully barged out the way so Ruby could do it for her.

“I can still do things myself you know.”

“Yeah, but not heavy lifting. I am Aunt Ruby the epic and I will not have that little angel or you hurt.”

Belle just smiled as she watched Belle set the case down on the left side of her bed. Bae was playing with Humphrey on the other side trying to stay awake rather than admit Mama was right when she said he was tired and needed a nap. The last day of packing was slow and apart from Ruby finding two tops and a pair of shoes that belonged to the mother to be it was uneventful, until seven o'clock when Jefferson and Victor showed up with Chinese. 

“I love you.” She announced to the two men as soon as the scent reached her nose.

“Sorry babe, but I'm taken.” Jefferson joked as he set the bag down on the coffee table while Victor went for plates.

“Okay who wants beer?” Ruby asked the room as she followed the blonde to the kitchen.

The boys responded with little grunts that she took to mean _yes please Ruby, that would be great._ Ruby normally brought Belle some water or juice but she had something else planned, since she would be working at Granny's again Ruby wanted to be able to serve more than a finger of whiskey and beer in the evenings.  

Victor returned to the coffee table with the plates just as Bae appeared in the living area holding Humphrey and rubbing his little chocolate eyes, he had fallen asleep around half five and Belle had no intention of waking him. 

“Mama?” Everyone looked up despite him calling for her. “Mama, hungry. Smell scwib.” It was so cute that he couldn't say squid and Belle knew she had created a little monster when she cooked it for him and Cam what seemed like forever ago. Just as Belle was about to speak Jefferson flew across the room to the young boy and pulled him up, bouncing him in the air causing the toddler to giggle. 

“Well, I think if we ask Uncle Victor you can have as much as you like.” He swung the boy round so he could sit on his shoulders and then walked back over to the small couch and sat. “So, Uncle Victor.” Jefferson began, a teasing smile on his face. “Are you going to hurry up and open the boxes so we can feed this growing boy or do we have to starve.”

“I think Uncle Jefferson should be nicer to me or he may get spanked.”

“Promise?”

“Okay you two, calm down.” Belle's voice of reason rang out ending the  risqué chatter going on. She pulled Bae from Jefferson's shoulders and settled him down by her were she could put a little of the squid on his plate. “There you go angel, eat up.” 

“Here you go.” Ruby said as she set a tall glass with a straw down in front of her best friend.

“What's this?”

The glass held three colors and looked a little like a sunset in a glass. Belle was curious, Victor raised an eyebrow as he slumped to the floor beer in hand.

“Its called an Afterglow. I wanted to do more cocktails when I'm back at Granny's and this is one of the non-alcoholic ones. Its grenadine, orange juice and pineapple juice. You'll love it!” 

They chatted and joked long into the night, staying quiet enough not to wake Bae for a second time. Ruby had been right about the afterglow, Belle did love it. The auburn haired beauty couldn't help but smile as she looked around at her friends and felt her baby kick, the baby she would meet in four months, she was surrounded by her friends and her children just like she had always wanted to be. Soon she would be reunited with Cam in their new home and they could be happy...forever, her heart tingled with happiness at that thought. Everything she had ever wanted was happening and Belle couldn't help but feel a renewed faith in true love. 

In that moment everything was perfect.

 


	24. Meanwhile City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little meanwhile for Gold.

“Have you seen the new guy?” Leroy asked Mister Clark as he swallowed the last bite of his pancakes. “Looks like a monster.”

“He is.” Remarked Clarke.

“I know, right? He's practically bought the town over night. Been here a week and he already owns all of Main Street and half the homes.”

“Granny, didn't he want to buy the inn and this place?”

Widow Lucas set Mister Clark's second cup of coffee down and then let out a sigh.

“He has.” She said plainly. “The woman who owned it was Missus Potts, she is a friend. She got it from her husband after he died and I think she just wanted to retire from it all, I don't blame her.”

“Yeah, but now the diner and inn are owned my a monster with a cane. What if he puts the rent up?”

“He hasn't. I think if he was going to he would have done it by now. Oh speak of the devil.”

The two men and Widow Lucas silenced as they watched Storybrooke's newest resident enter the diner. Mister Gold had quickly gained a reputation as a monster thanks to his strict rules for his tenants, as far as they could tell, no one liked him. He had bought a small store at the far end of Main Street and turned it into a pawnshop that looked more like an antiques store that had been there forever. Then again that was exactly what Cameron wanted it to look like, it was his dream after all. His wedding present for Belle was taking a little longer than expected but after hiring a man named Ethan Dove as a sort of assistant things had picked back up.

Cam wasn't stupid he knew that no one in the town liked him, and to be honest Gold liked it that way. People paid their rent on time if they were afraid of the owner. He had always enjoyed business to be done efficiently.

“Mister Gold.” Widow Lucas greeted, quickly making her way to him. “What can I get you?”

“Just coffee, sugar, no cream. Thank you Missus Lucas,”

Granny nodded and wandered off to get the monster his coffee for the morning. Mister Clark sneezed. Most people kept their heads down, but not Leroy, no he just stared at Cam like if he focused hard enough then Gold would burst into flames, turn to ash and solve all their problems. Cameron just ignored him, he had better things to do than have a public argument with a grumpy local. So far the only people that seemed to treat him indifferently were, Ethan Dove and Emma Swan, the town Sheriff. He had a feeling that Belle was going to get on well with Dove, they shared a love of literature, but he doubted anyone in town knew that bit about Dove.

Soon enough Granny returned with his coffee and set it down like it was cursed. He paid the woman but didn't make any effort to move, that set a little panic in her bones. He looked angry, but she couldn't tell if he was about to evict her or if that was just his face. _So hard to tell_ she said to herself. Suddenly he pulled a small green box from his inner suit pocket and held it out to Granny, it was small, about the equivalent of a woman's palm. It also had a think gold ribbon tied in a bow around it.

“What's this?” She asked taking the box.

“It's for Ruby, give it to her when she arrives home would you?” It was a question but he made it sound like a demand.

“Em, okay. I will.” She couldn't really say no.

With that Cameron left the diner with his coffee, sipping it as he walked. Leroy and Clark just looked at the box with gaping faces.

“How the hell does he know Ruby?” Asked Leroy.

“I have no idea.” Answered Widow Lucas with a puzzled face.

“Open it.”

“What if its a bomb or something? Don't be silly Clark.” Leroy suddenly leaned away as Clark sneezed for the millionth time. “Do you ever stop that?”

Clark looked at him apologetically.

“I can't just give this to my granddaughter, what if its something inappropriate?”

“Then open it.” Said Clark, then sneezed. “If its something inappropriate call Emma, if not then give it to her and see what Ruby says when she opens it.”

Clark had a point, she could always call Emma if necessary. _It would be entertaining_ she told herself.

“Alright, we open it.”

With that Granny set the box down and carefully pulled the ribbon and pulled open the little green box. Granny pulled a confused face and turned the box so Leroy and Mister Clark could see. Inside was a little silver keychain, it held a reasonably sized silver 3D graduation hat with a tiny wolf etched into the metal beside Ruby's name in beautiful calligraphy style writing. There was also a small note stuck to the top of the box that read.

**_One for all of you, congratulations._ **

**_-C_ **

It was safe to say all three were confused.

“What the hell?”

“Couldn't have put it better myself, Leroy.” Said Granny.

“Well at least it doesn't look inappropriate.” Another sneeze. “Will you give it to Ruby?”

“I think I have to, this looks like a graduation gift. He has to know her reasonably well so I guess he will ask her of she got it.”

“But you're going to question her on it right?”

“Of course. Can't have my granddaughter hanging around with that man. He can't be good for her.”

 

 

Where the idea for Ruby's keychain came from....

 


	25. Homecoming

Belle nearly cried when the car drove past the  _ welcome to Storybrooke _ sign, she didn't know if it was because her dream had finally come true or because she would see Cam again or if it was just her hormones, maybe all of the above. The streets were quiet and calm, nothing like the busy streets of New York, yes, Belle was going to like it in Storybrooke.  

“Do you want to come see the house?” Jefferson asked from the front passenger seat. 

“I'd love to.” Replied Belle from the seat behind him, Bae had long since fallen asleep in her lap, breathing softly. 

“I want to see it too, but maybe later. I really want to see Granny.”

Ruby and Granny fought on a regular basis but they loved each other wholeheartedly. Belle looked to the dark-haired girl beside her in the back seat, Ruby looked like she could cry.

“Okay, I'll drop you off at the diner and then we will go to the new house. See you later for something to eat, yeah?” Victor used the rear view mirror to glance at Ruby.

“Yeah, sounds like a plan.”

 

It didn't take long to arrive at Granny's diner, then again it didn't take long to get anywhere in Storybrooke. The place looked just like the last time Ruby had gone home, busy but not overcrowded, a buzz with chatter but not loud. Ruby pushed the creases out of her short cranberry red skirt and smiled at her friends, lips turning up in a wolfish grin. She was home, they all were. The red obsessed girl ruffled Bae's sleeping head for a moment and then pushed open the car door, getting out with a  _thanks Victor_ and  _see you guys later._ Belle suddenly leaned over and grabbed her hand stopping Ruby in her tracks. 

“Ruby, if you see Cam would you tell him where I am and that my cell died?”

“Of course, honey.”

Ruby shut the door and watched as the car drove away down Main Street. She had missed the town, when she was there she always told Granny she wanted out, that she wanted to see the world, go to Madagascar and see Lemurs, but when she got out all Ruby wanted was to go home.  As soon as the car was out of sight Ruby clicked her heels up the steps and savoured the little bell marking her entrance. Some of the town folk noticed her straight away but Ruby gestured for them to stay silent, Granny had her back to her granddaughter and so she crept up silently until she was only a few inches behind her at the kitchen window and said. 

“Am I going to get some service today, or what?”

Granny turned suddenly, like a bat out of hell and looked at her granddaughter, her heart felt like it had been squeezed. 

“Ruby. Oh Ruby.”

In seconds Granny had her in a bear hug, tight and loving. The Widow Lucas was far stronger than she looked. Ruby hugged back, breathing in the calming scent of coffee, cherry pie and pancakes that was her grandmother. 

“I missed you Granny.”

“Oh I missed you too, Sweetheart.”

Eventually Granny released her and they had a quick catch up before Aurora and some other friends pulled her off to catch up. Ruby was so happy to be home, it was almost like she had never been away. Aurora was still with Philip, the buses still never showed up on time, everything was just like when she left. Eventually her friends left, getting back to their jobs and various errands leaving Ruby to return to Granny.  With the lunch hour over the diner grew quiet, if fact it was empty.  _Probably won't stay like this for long_ Ruby though to herself. 

“They missed you.”

“I know, Granny. I missed them too. It's good to be back.”

“How are Victor and that boyfriend of his.” Granny could never remember if it was Jefferson or Jeffrey.

“He and Jefferson are fine. They took Belle to see the new house.”

_Ah it is Jefferson, I need to remember that._ Granny suddenly remembered about the small box that Gold had given her for Ruby. She had to know how they knew each other and that meant giving her granddaughter the box. 

“Here.” She said slipping the box onto the counter top, she had kept it underneath the counter for a few days not really knowing where else to put it. 

“You got me a present?”

“Its not from me. It's from the new guy, Mister Gold.”

Ruby's face didn't light up but it didn't shudder either, Granny had to get to the bottom of the mystery. She watched as Ruby pulled the little gold ribbon and opened the box.

“Aww its cute.” She said holding it up in the light to see it better. “Has my name on it and everything. Oh a note.”

_ One for all of you, congratulations. _

-C

“Oh that's sweet, he got one for Victor, Jefferson and Belle too.” She looked up at Granny and before the older woman could say a word added. “I'm going to get my diner and inn keys from my room and put this on. Back in a sec.” _She seemed to like the keychain, seriously how do those two know each other? And she said he got one for her friends too, what the hell is going on with them and Mister Gold? _Granny was pulled from her thoughts when Ruby returned looking at her keys as she tried to get the new keychain to attach. 

“Granny, I know I haven't seen you in ages but would it be okay if I went over to Victor and Jefferson's? I really want to see the house.”

“Oh of course, darling. I have some cleaning up to do. You bring them in later for dinner okay?”

“Yeah sure, that would be great.”

Ruby kissed Granny's cheek and then left the diner. Granny watched her go with a little smile, but it fell from her face when she saw Gold approaching the diner. Granny watched as Ruby stopped Gold and hugged him, showing him her keys with a few words she couldn't hear. They chatted for a long moment and Gold pointed down the road at something, it was strange for Granny to watch, like they were friends. They hugged again and Ruby started walking off down the street while Gold climbed the stairs.

“Its quiet in here today.” Remarked Gold as he came through the door. “Was it something I said?”

“What do you want, Gold?”

“Coffee please.” He leaned against the counter as Granny poured him his coffee into a paper cup. “I see Ruby has returned.”

“Yes. I want you to stay away from her, she doesn't need someone like you leading her down the wrong path to a bed.”

She set the cup down in front of him and Gold nearly choked on his own tongue.

“You think I'm sleeping with her? No, I can assure you Missus Lucas, I have no interest in your granddaughter in that way. All I have ever done is help Ruby.” It was true, every word. “I admire your concern for her but there is no need. I have no plans to _ever_ bed her.” 

“So why are you being so nice to her, you aren't a nice person.”

“Oh I am lovely, to those who deserve it. Ruby is a good person, she talks about you a lot. I know you may not believe it or even think it possible, but Ruby is my friend.”

With that Gold left the building.


	26. He's Your What?

It was late in the day when Ruby returned to the diner with Victor, Jefferson, Belle and Bae in toe. Most people didn't know Belle, she hadn't been to Storybrooke in so very long yet still they stared at her, then again, she was an almost six months pregnant twenty year old holding the hand of a toddler. Victor suddenly swept Bae up in a cuddle while the others of their entourage took seats at the counter with their backs to the booths. 

“Granny I would kill for a cup of coffee.” Victor informed as he settled Bae on the end seat and took his own.

“Well luckily we accept money rather than human sacrifice.” She jested with a wolfish grin. “And who is this little angel?”

The question was directed at Belle but Granny had her eyes locked with Ruby as if saying  _why in hell didn't you tell me about this sooner?_ _Why didn't you say she was pregnant?_

“This is  Bae.” Belle informed, a smile on her face as she looked at her son. 

“Well, hello Bae.” Granny leaned in close. “Would you like a strawberry shake?” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” The young child practically jumped up and down in his seat, then he paused for a moment and turned to Belle. “Can...Mama?”

“Of Course you can honey.” Victor leaned back realising that he had sat between mother and son.

“What else do you all want?” Asked Granny straightening herself and pulling a little notepad from her pocket. “Anything at all.”

Belle spoke first, knowing exactly what her baby made her crave.

“Can I get the chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy please. Oh and odd but could I get some pickles with that?”

“Sweetheart, your pregnant.” Said Granny. “Nothing you eat is _odd_.”

The others made their order and soon their food was set down in front of them. They ate and watched as the sun settled letting the fluorescent lights take over lighting the diner. It grew busy and the chatter raised, the group of friends  shared conversations about unimportant things and Belle began to worry where Cam had gotten to, he had told Ruby earlier that he would meet them for dinner at the diner, maybe he had gotten caught up with something.  _Hurry up Cam_ she thought to herself, Belle really had missed her husband, it actually seemed to hurt to be away from him. 

“You did not just dunk that pickle in gravy.” Suddenly announced Jefferson with a cringe worthy expression on his face. “Oh that's just wrong.”

“Jefferson, I'm pregnant I can't help it.” She giggled but that came a sudden stop when the bell chimed.

Belle turned hoping beyond hope to see Cam but it was just a short bald man with a dark beard, Leroy, she learnt from Granny as he sat down on one of the seats by the counter. It was the one furthest away from the door on the right so he could sit with his back against the wall and face the booths. After dinner Victor, Belle, Jefferson and Ruby all compared their keychains from Cam, no one noticed the confused and curious look on Granny's face. All of the graduation hat keychains held their name but each had a different symbol, Ruby's was a wolf, the first thing anyone learnt about Ruby Lucas other than her love for red was her fascination with wolves. Belle's of course had a little book, while Jefferson's held a top hat. Victor's was the most intricate, it had his name just like all the others but also held the  Staff of Asclepius , the snake wrapped around the staff was rather detailed for something so small. It was safe to say that the four loved them,  each one linked to them as a person whether it be a beloved animal, a land of adventure, fashion or medicine. Each held a passion. 

No one noticed when Bae slipped off his stool  with Humphrey in his little arms  and charged across the room towards the back door, or the man that picked him up, not until Leroy piped up. 

“Hey Miss, the town monster is stealing your son.” The dwarf like man said with a crooked grin.

Belle's head turned so quickly to Bae's seat it could have snapped.

“Bae?”

She flipped around to face the direction Leroy had pointed and found Bae in the arms of Cam, cuddling his son close, her heart instantly relaxed. 

The four friends, Leroy and Granny watched as Mister Gold approached the group and stood in the small space between Belle and Victor.

“You know.” He began looking at Belle with a jesting smile. “You really should keep a better eye on our son.”

The group giggled a little but it was soon left for dead when Granny burst out with.

“ _Our?”_

Belle took the opportunity to stand up and place a hand on his chest carefully so as not to trip herself and him on his cane.

“Oh, Granny. This is Cameron Gold, my husband.”

At that moment the entire diner seemed to grow silent, her words had caused the mood to drop like they were feathers made of lead. No one dared speak for a few moments, they were already terrified of the new pawnbroker, the man who owned the town. All thought their rent would go up ten fold.

“He's your what?”

Said Leroy in  confusion , no one seemed to be able to understand why a beautiful young woman like Belle would marry Cameron Gold.  Belle just smiled at the older man and attempted to make her voice sound like she was joking. 

“My other half, my spouse, you know the man I married."

_ Husband _ she heard Granny whisper to herself, she was about to say something when Bae cut in.

“Papa, where Kubla?”

“He's outside with Cordelia, lad.”

Bae had missed that dog more than words could describe. Belle's eyes lit up at the mention of Cordelia, yes it had been nice for her not to have to walk Cord what with being pregnant but she had missed the animal. 

Victor decided that it would be best for Belle if he change the subject from _why did you marry this man_ to something more pleasant.

“You did good, Proff.” Victor had called Cam Proff once as a joke and it had just sort of stuck. “I heard that Belle and Ruby graduated top of your class and you didn't even have to go changing marks.” It was meant as a joke, it was only when she saw Granny's face that he realised he had just made things a lot worse. 

“Proff? As in Professor?” She was muttering to herself again but Belle could hear it perfectly. It was Gold that changed the subject again.

“I thought we could go see your wedding present after dinner.” He said to his darling wife.

“You mean I finally get to know what the key opens.”

“A door obviously.” Remarked Jefferson.

“No it could be a trunk or something.” Countered Ruby.

“What is it? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.”

“Did you see the clock tower of your trip through Storybrooke today?” He asked with a smile.

“Yeah.” Belle dragged the word out.

“Well, that building is one I, just happen, to own and I thought you would want it.” He said casually in that teasing tone he had. “I mean, it's already and set up. The town could do with it.”

“Oh this is killing me, please just tell me what is it?”

“Well the building has a name: The Storybrooke Library.” 

“Library? You got me a library?” Cam nodded and Belle pulled him to her so quickly he nearly dropped Bae and his cane. “Thank you.”

“You're very welcome, Sweetheart. You always said you wanted to be a librarian, I just aided it.”

“I love you.” With that she pressed her lips to his, not caring what the town thought, he was her husband and the father of her children, she didn't care what they thought.


	27. New Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is the last chapter of Gold Opal Ring, I just wanted to thank you all for all your comments and kudos. Thank you again and i hope you enjoy that last chapter.

Months had passed since Belle had informed the town she was married to the monstrous Mister Gold, formally Professor Gold. Thankfully the gossip died down quickly, or possibly the town folk got good at hiding the gossip, the latter was far more likely. The library that Cam gave Belle didn't take long to be opened, then again Cam had gotten the place cleaned, re-painted and rewired in the weeks before she and the others had arrived so there was very little she needed to do. New books arrived promptly and Belle quickly put them into the new library computer system and listened to Cam as he begged her to be careful up the ladder, she wasn't a hundred percent sure if it was because of the baby or because he knew her track record with ladders, probably a bit of both.

Belle had enjoyed a good relationship with her father since the move to Storybrooke, his drinking was at a standstill and even better was that the two men she loved most in the world still seemed to be on civil terms. They had moved into a Victorian era house, that Cameron had gotten pained salmon just to make her smile and remember the house he had asked her to marry him in. Moe French had arrived around a month after they were settled to visit and check on his daughter, not that he would admit to that bit. 

Bae quickly made friends with the Sheriff's son Henry, he was a lovely little boy with hazel eyes and dark chestnut hair, very similar to Bae's own, it would be very easy to mistake them for brothers. They boys were thick as thieves and had instantly become inseparable, much to Emma Swan's displeasure; she liked Bae she just wasn't very sure about his father Cameron Gold. Belle was sure Emma would soon see the good that was within her husband.

Victor's career was going from strength to strength and his studies seemed to be progressing quickly while Jefferson had taken over three rooms of their home with roles of fabric and his designs. Jefferson took any opportunity to design and make something and so he had made Belle a maternity dress for her last few months, Jefferson referred to it as her  _bigger than a house dress_ . The name had gotten him swatted several times by Ruby. Granny had never been more proud of her granddaughter, Ruby's studies had left her in the perfect place to one day take over the diner and it seemed all Ruby's plans of running off to Madagascar  had been put on hold, she just wanted to enjoy her home a while longer; as well the child she would soon be godmother to. 

XXXX

It was eleven minuets to four in the early morning when Belle went into labour, she had nearly given Cam a heart attack when she screamed and slapped him in his sleeping face. Cameron couldn't even remember how he got to the hospital and only faintly recalled calling Ruby to tell her, after that he had gone to Belle's side to comfort her through the birth of their child. He had never been so thankful for Bae's insistence on going to Henry's house for a sleepover, maybe Bae had sensed something. 

Ruby had arrived at the hospital as fast as the speed limit would allow, almost running up to the maternity ward. She hated that the nurses forced her to remain outside in the hallway, but it wasn't about her and Ruby knew that. Victor and Jefferson arrived a few moments after her and they quickly made their way to her. 

“Are Belle and Cam alright?” Asked Victor in a concerned voice.

“I think so, I haven't seen either of them.” She responded. “Nurses say I'm not family so they can't say anything."

“Typical.” Mumbled Jefferson as he sat himself down on one of the hideous and uncomfortable blue plastic chairs in the hallway. “I just want to know if it's a boy or girl.”

Cam and Belle had never found out the gender, they wanted a surprise.

“Can you imagine what Bae is going to say tomorrow when he finds his baby brother or sister has been born?” 

“Yeah Ruby something like, _I leave the house for one night._ ” Jefferson giggled to himself as he watched Victor roll his eyes.

Hours seemed to pass and the waiting became painful and Ruby was pretty sure she had nodded off once or twice. Victor had shoved some coffee under her nose at some point, it hadn't tasted particularly good but it kept her awake.

It was when the sun had just started to rise that the door opened revealing a very tired looking Cameron Gold, there were dark circles under his eyes and the shirt he had thrown on was crinkled pretty much everywhere. The hand free of his cane looked like Belle had squeezed it almost to breaking point and to be honest no one could blame her. 

“Cam? Are they alright?” Were the first words out of Victor's mouth.

“Yeah, they are. Do you want to meet your godson?”

“Son? It's a boy?” 

Cam just nodded in answer to Jefferson's question and turned around heading back into the delivery room so as the three godparents could follow. Belle sat upright in the bed a coating of sweat glistening on her skin and a little bundle in her protective arms. The new mother looked up when she heard her husband and friends enter the room and smiled up at them with an exhausted face. Cam perched on the bed beside his wife while the others gathered around the bed trying to get a good look at the new baby.

“He's beautiful.” Ruby blurted, it was true though.

“He looks like you Cam.” Added Jefferson.

“Not so lucky then.”

The group enjoyed a little chuckle at Cameron's joke but ceased the moment the new baby boy began to fidget in his sleep.

“What's his name?” It was a logical question.

“We were debating that, I wanted to name him after my mother Colette.”

“How would that work?” Asked Ruby.

“Easy.”

Belle answered gesturing to his little name tag, Victor looked down and read aloud.

“Cole Harvey Gold.”

**The End**


	28. Epilogue: A Family Complete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I've had a few people asking for an epilogue and after a little brain racking I've come up with this. I hope you like this, its just a little thing. So here it goes.

It was way past Cole's bedtime and yet he and his big brother Bae had been woken up and bundled into the car with their Mama. Cole was worried about his Mama, her face cringed every few minuets in pain and he couldn't understand why. More concerning was that his Papa seemed to be distracted and that never happened, yes, Cole's six year old mind was worried. Bae didn't seem concerned and that helped Cole to realx a little, it didn't stop him being concerned about his Mama though. 

All too soon Cole found himself being led into a little room by his big bother, the lights were bright and hurt his tired eyes. Bae took a seat and pulled his legs up onto the seat so as he could lean comfortably, of course being the little brother Cole copied. 

“Bae, what's wrong with Mama?” Cole asked in a tired voice.

Bae smiled for a moment remembering the first time he had met his little brother, he had been only three then but he still remembered it like it was yesterday. At the grand age of nine Bae had decided he was an expert on being a big brother, Cole sill looked at him with awe so that was a good indication he was right. Bae was mature beyond his years, everyone could see it, Henry had sometimes tease him by saying  _yes dad_ in that whiny tone only children and his Aunt Ruby were capable of. Suddenly Bae realised his was off in his own world when Cole started poking him in the arm. 

“Cole, that hurts.” He scolded lightly. “And there's nothing wrong with Mama.” Bae's tone quickly dissolved its scolding tone and converted into something comforting and, for lack of a better term, big brotherly. “Mama is having out sister.”

“What?”

Cole knew his Mama was pregnant but he was six and didn't completely understand it, to be honest he didn't thing Bae understood completely either. 

“When Papa comes to get us, we'll have a little sister. We'll have Danika.”

When their Mama and Papa had first started thinking of names or their daughter they had drawn a blank. Hayleigh and Hadley had popped up several times but Bae and Cole had't liked either, the lack of acceptable names had led the eldest of the Gold sons to search the books himself. It hadn't taken long to find Danika meaning morning star, Bae had always liked the stars,  Addilyn was also one of his favourites . Their Mama had instantly fallen in love with the name s and in a fit of what could only be described as  _ hormone brain _ Mama had decided that the boys could name their sister, Papa had taken a little more convincing but they all knew not to argue with their pregnant Mama. After much discussion that was fairly one sided on Bae's part they had presented  their Mama and Papa with their baby sisters name:  _ Danika _ _ Addilyn Salena Gold.  _ Cole had insisted on Salena, the name meant  _ princess  _ and Cole had an obsession with kings and queens, he liked the idea of having a princess for a sister; because it made him a prince. 

“Will I have to share my toys?” Asked Cole making his brother laugh.

“Not at first.” Bae smiled. “But I shared mine with you, so you have to share with Dani.” 

The boys chatted about silly little things like school and the young blonde that Bae secretly had a crush on. Hours passed by and soon Bae found himself nodding off with Cole asleep in his arms. There were no dreams, at least if there were Bae didn't remember them. It seemed like only a moment had passed between falling asleep and his Papa gently shaking him and Cole awake. 

“Papa?” Asked Bae as he wiped the sleep from his chocolate eyes. 

“Come on, lad.” His father's Scottish brogue filled the room. “Its time to meet Dani.”

Cam stood straight and pulled a still sleeping Cole into his cane-less arm, holding him close.

Their family was finally complete; Cameron Gold the towns monster, Belle Gold the kind and considerate librarian, Baedan Gold the loving little boy who just wanted his family to be happy, Cole Gold the free spirit and Danika Gold, the new arrival. 

 

“ _ You don't  _ _choose your family. They are God's gift_ _to you, as you are to them.”_

_ -Desmond Tutu _

 

**_ The End (really this time)  _ **

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave any comments, I love getting them. :-)


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